Brenner has been nominated for Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year, along with nine other nominees.

The SI Article starts out with how this whole ‘four sport’ athlete story began, and of course it had to do with one team needing help when someone went down with an injury:

February 24, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Liz Brenner (15, right) shoots the ball against Stanford Cardinal forward Joslyn Tinkle (44, left) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Normally, Oregon volleyball coach Jim Moore would have long since left his office for home. It was just before Christmas in 2011 and right after Moore’s team wrapped up a successful season that ended with an appearance in the NCAA tournament, when Ducks women’s basketball coach Paul Westhead stood at Moore’s office door with a delicate question: Could he borrow freshman outside hitter Liz Brenner to help his injury-depleted lineup? A few months later, Moore would be sitting in the same spot when Ducks softball coach Mike White came knocking with the same request.

Westhead and White weren’t asking Moore to share some walk-on scrub, but rather his outside hitter who had ranked third on the team in kills, hitting and points. As a sophomore last fall, Brenner led the Ducks to a runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament and a school-record 30 wins, earning second-team All-America honors. Moore describes the 6-foot-1 Brenner’s serve reception as “the best of anyone I’ve ever recruited.”

You can vote for the SI Sports Man and Woman of the Year. Right now Brenner is in 2nd place behind Britney Griner from Baylor(basketball).

Oregon Ducks This Week:

Press Release from the University of Oregon:

Geoff Thurner/GoDucks.com

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The Pac-12 Conference announced Wednesday that University of Oregon junior Lauren Plum and sophomore Liz Brenner were selected to an all-star team of Pac-12 volleyball players that will play this summer in China.

The returning First- and Second-Team All-Americans are among 12 league players that will play at least six matches in two weeks against Chinese professional club teams in Beijing and Shanghai.

USC head coach Mick Haley will direct the squad, and will be assisted by Beth Launiere and Jen Greeny – head coaches at Utah and Washington State, respectively.

This team was selected by the coaching staff and a Pac-12 liaison and features five All-Pac-12 returnees. The squad is balanced between two freshmen, four sophomores, five juniors and one senior.

Position-wise, the roster includes two setters, one libero, three middle blockers, and six outside hitters from 10 of the conference’s 12 teams.

The 2012 Pac-12 Setter of the Year, Plum led the nation in assists (13.37 per set) last fall, and directed UO to the nation’s top kills per set team average (15.95) and a .289 hitting mark that tied the school record and stood ninth nationally.

A recent Sullivan Award top-three finalist, Brenner stood top 70 nationally in both kills (69th, 3.92 per set) and points (70th, 4.39 p/s) in 2012, and ninth and eighth in the Pac-12 in points and kills, respectively.

In addition to matches, student-athletes will enjoy cultural and sightseeing visits at the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and other attractions.

“This type of tour can be a transformative moment for our student-athletes,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “In addition to the competition on the court, they will return to their teams with a meaningful life experience of visiting another country and learning more about another culture.”

Competition against Chinese club teams is nothing new to Pac-12 volleyball players. In addition to international play like the Olympics, four Pac-12 teams hosted the Jiangsu Volleyball Team from Nanjing, China, one of the leading professional volleyball teams in China, for matches during the 2012 season.

“I think, certainly, our Pac-12 athletes and the Conference will benefit from the competition and the cultural exchange,” head coach Mick Haley said. “What’s exciting about this trip is the experience of new foods, different rules, differing styles of play and of course the opportunity to make new friends. The quality of play in China should be exceptional. China has over 100,000 club teams and university teams that play in leagues all over the country. Chinese fans are extremely loyal with a great national spirit for competition.”

The Pac-12 has a storied history in volleyball with 14 NCAA titles, the most of any conference nationally, while seven league programs have advanced to the national semifinals since 2001. Seven Pac-12 teams received NCAA Tournament bids in 2012, tied for the most of any conference in the country.

En route to a best-ever 30-5 overall mark, the University of Oregon advanced to the 2012 NCAA Championship – the third-straight year a Pac-12 team has played in the national finale. In the year-end AVCA Coaches poll last fall, No. 2 Oregon was one of five Pac-12 teams that ranked top 15 nationally.

(Alex McDougall/Oregon Daily Emerald)

It is somewhat becoming common in college athletics for students to play in two different sports while in school. Arik Armstead, who helped the Ducks to a win in the Fiesta Bowl joined Dana Altman and the Men’s basketball team, he is redshirting the rest of this season.

Incoming Class of 2013 member Devon Allen will participate in two sports for the Ducks. You may see him this fall as a wide receiver, he will also participate in Track and Field.

Two solid examples of athetes using their abilities to their highest potential. However there is one athlete who has taken this to the next level.

Jan 5, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Liz Brenner (15) looks to shoot the ball against Stanford Cardinal forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike (30) during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Liz Brenner will participate in not three, but four different sports in her college career at the University of Oregon. According to the story from the Associated Press, it all began in 2011, when Oregon volleyball coach Jim Moore got a knock on his door shortly after the Ducks’ season wrapped up.

It was basketball coach Paul Westhead, wondering if he could “borrow” freshman outside hitter Liz Brenner. Moore, cringing a bit at the thought of injury, reluctantly agreed.

A few of months later, another knock came on Moore’s door. This time it was softball coach Mike White wondering if he could borrow Brenner, too.

Moore sighed and with that, Brenner became the first woman in 35 years to take on three sports at Oregon.

“I love being around them. I love playing them. I love the competitiveness. It’s just a lot of fun getting to practice and play in games every day.” -

Oregon Junior Liz Brenner

Oregon Football Coach Mark Helfrich even joked he would love to have her on the football team. This year she will add a fourth sport to the list in Track and Field. She will join Robert Anderson and the team following the Women’s Basketball season.

 ”I think by me doing so many sports, and switching from one season to another season, I never get tired of just one. I get to look forward to a new season. I get to look forward to something new.” Oregon Ducks Junior Liz Brenner

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Ducks This Week:

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Justin Phillips is Sports Reprter for Newsradio 1120 KPNW in Eugene, Oregon