Virginia Elite Volleyball Club

Brooke Baurenfiend, Virginia Elite Class of 2008, is an outside hitter for the College of William and Mary, a D-I school in Williamsburg, VA and a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. She is a three year veteran of Virginia Elite and played on three straight regional championship squads from 2006-2008. After her freshman year, Brooke spent some time answering some questions for the Virginia Elite Alumni Association for the May edition of Catching Up.

Virginia Elite Alumni Association (VEAA): Of the 2008 class, you were the only one to go to school in the state of Virginia. How is this different for you compared to your teammates who went out of state?

Brooke Baurenfiend (Class of 2008): While I was going through the recruiting process I was vehemently against staying in state. I thought it would be too close to home. There would not be enough change and it would end up being high school all over again - same people, different location. As soon as I arrived on campus I realized I was the perfect distance away from home and William & Mary is completely different from Northern Virginia. I think it is more about finding what's right for you; staying in state does not in any way mean your experience will be worse than out of state teammates. We have some great schools in Virginia.

VEAA: How did VA Elite prepare you for playing at the college level?

BB('08): Playing with VA Elite made me competitive; it made me want to push myself and give 100%, it made me motivated.

VEAA: How do you manage your class schedule and playing volleyball?

BB('08): It's really just a lot of time management. First semester we had mandatory study halls once a week, but after that you're on your own. Volleyball takes up a lot of time, but I didn't find it hard to balance schoolwork and playing. Since you jump into the year with a busy schedule, you adjust pretty quickly and there were a ton of people always around ready to help and support, which was great.

VEAA: Over the winter break, you participated in the Alumni Game - how was it seeing your teammates again?

BB('08): Getting to see everyone again was wonderful! I love all the girls at VA Elite, and I missed the Cobras.

VEAA: What is the biggest difference in club volleyball vs the collegiate game?

BB('08): The biggest difference that I noticed between the two was the mental aspect. In college, there's a lot more strategy and thinking involved before, during and after play.

VEAA: Now that you have completed your first spring season, what is it like training with the same team year round?

BB('08): Awesome! I love the team here, so getting to spend more time with them was a lot of fun. Also, the spring team was a lot different that the fall team because the seniors don't play in the spring, so without them the dynamics and relationships changed.

VEAA: What are you looking forward to the most about returning to work with VA Elite this summer?

BB('08): Probably just getting to see everyone again, and have a place to keep playing over the summer, maybe show off my passing skills ;)

VEAA: You went to three National Tournaments with VA Elite - what's the one thing you remember most about going to Nationals?

BB('08): Six Flags in Texas! Haha, but really.I remember mostly just having a lot of fun. Hanging out with the team and playing hard; lots of smiles. I also remember it being kind of nerve wracking, especially junior year, at the height of recruiting. There were always all the college coaches around, and knowing they were watching us was scary.

VEAA: How did you compare your collegiate season to that of other Alumni?

BB('08): I feel like we all had pretty good first seasons; I know mine was a great experience. I learned so much, I feel like my game has improved substantially and I also had a lot of fun.

VEAA: What is the one piece of academy advice you could give to the current VA Elite players?

BB('08): Enjoy yourself. You spend waaaayyy too much time playing volleyball to not have it be fun. Don't let it get too serious, keep working hard but remember it's just a game. Take all the awesome opportunities that are given to you and use them!