On the right Paige

In athletics, you win some and lose some, but for outside-hitter Paige Benjamin, losing in volleyball matches never stopped her from being a champion.

Although Benjamin's senior season ended 3-1 to Hawaii in the second round of the NCAA women's volleyball tournament, it was she who led the Huskies to their best finish since 1997.

After the loss to the Rainbows, she earned all-American honors while becoming the Huskies' all-time leader in season kills with 573, and her 5.31 kills per game ranked second in the Pac-10 conference and 14th in the nation. Her teammates appreciated her efforts, even though their title dreams fell short.

"She was the leader, the best on the team," said sophomore Danka Danicic. "She is a great person as well as a player; we saw her make lots of progress."

Even with impressive numbers, prestigious awards and praise, Paige's accomplishments reached further than kills on the court.

Paige was recently named a John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship; she was just one of five college athletes to earn the $10,000 grant. With a 3.84 grade-point average in accounting, she plans to use the money for graduate school, possibly in another field.

"I usually do not distinguish between minority and regular scholarships; I put my name on for both just the same; I think people of color can do whatever they want to do. I filled out some forms, wrote an essay and turned it in, but I didn't know how prestigious it was until I became a finalist," Paige said.

"Then I got nervous, and I really wanted it. It's cool because it is for sports management and I can stay in that area for a career option."

Whatever option she selects, she is likely to succeed based on her competitive nature. Her sister, Courtney, decided not to play sports in college, but her brother, Evan, is a strong safety for the Husky football team. Although Evan faces tough competition on the gridiron, he said Paige's drive rivals that of his teammates'.

"Man, she is competitive in everything," Evan said. "It could be cards, dominos and even video games."

Evan said that their parents, Tony and Krista, have always stressed academics as much as athletics, and their father's experience of playing football for Duke University and later for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1970s helped keep the family in competitive sprits with sports and homework.

"Between [my dad] and my mom, they pushed us hard in sports and school, and it helped with my dad's athletic background, but Paige always puts in 100 percent," Evan said. "She always wants to be the best."

"Our upbringing was definitely a factor," Paige said. "My family raised me to be a balanced person. My competitive nature keeps me going; I'll compete in anything. I have a serious passion for volleyball; I didn't play it just because I have a scholarship. I played it, and will continue to play it, because I love the game."

Krista said she never saw Paige take anything lightly. For two years, Paige's high-school volleyball season would overlap her basketball season, meaning she'd sometimes have to play both sports in consecutive days.

Despite homework also to be done, Paige never quit working hard -- an attribute she brought to the UW, both in the classroom and on the court.

"Paige has her own beat; she is a person that can function with little sleep," Krista said.

"There were times she would have a bowl of cereal at 1 in the morning, then get up at 7 to get on the computer, and then go play. And she never complained about it.

We (her parents) played more of a supportive role with an extra change of clothes in the car, but she kept it up in college. Through it all, she still found time for her friends. She studied hard and played hard."

For the past two academic quarters, Paige was in Colorado Springs, training and traveling with the Olympic Development National Team, testing out international volleyball for the first team.

Even though she did not make the team, she is optimistic about her potential future as an Olympian.

"I didn't make the team, but I was a lot closer than I thought I would be," Paige said. "Maybe in 2005, after the Olympics, I'll have a better chance, because some of the girls are going to end their volleyball career."

Paige took missing the cut in stride, much like how she handles the vigorous responsibilities of being a student athlete. It is how she lives: despite a loss, Paige remains driven by her will to win.

"It hurt being cut, but it was just a minor set-back," Paige said with a smile. "But there were a lot of things here I needed to accomplish, like finishing school."