Virginia Elite Volleyball Club

Brittni Yates, Virginia Elite Class of 2007, is a middle blocker for the University of Nevada-Reno, a D-I School in Reno, NV. As member of the Western Athletic Conference, Brittni has played against national perennial power houses such as Hawaii and Utah as well as 2009 NCAA Tournament Teams such as UCLA and Pepperdine. She is a two year veteran of Virginia Elite and first contributing member from the class of 2007.

In her first season at Nevada she redshirted due to an injury and during her sophomore academic year she was able to play in her first collegiate season. During Christmas Break Brittni answered a few questions for February's edition of "Catching Up."

Virginia Elite Alumni Association (VEAA): You were one of the first players from Virginia Elite to commit -how was it playing your junior and senior years knowing you were already committed?

Brittni Yates Class of 2007 (BY '07): It was a great feeling. I knew that all I had to do was keep my grades high and then I was off to school. I loved hearing kids talk about how they had tons of applications to fill out and essays to write because I knew that I didn't have to do any of that. It was also a perk knowing that I didn't have to pay for anything except a plane ticket!

VEAA: What was it like playing in your first college match?

BY '07: I played my first college match this year and to be completely honest, I wasn't nervous. I was more nervous when I played for the first time in our spring tournament. It didn't affect our record and didn't really mean anything, but I was really nervous when I went in.

It didn't help that when I went in, all my team mates were cheering me on from the bench. Playing for the first time in the spring made it a lot easier to play in the fall season.

VEAA: Nevada plays in the Western Athletic Conference where you have to play national power-house Hawaii? What was it like travelling to play on the islands?

BY '07: It is an AWESOME experience to play in Hawaii. Every time we go there we know it is going to be a challenge because they have never lost at home and they are conference champs for like ever. It's also a nice little vacation away from Reno. The long flight is the only bad thing about the trip. We played Hawaii on Halloween this year and it was crazy. All their fans and staff had costumes on, so it was a little tough to stay focused, especially when Gumbi and a French maid were heckling you.

VEAA: You were red-shirted your freshman year-how was that different from being a true-freshman?

BY '07: It was pretty different. It was hard at first because I was a little behind skill-wise, but the girls and the coaches did an awesome job making me feel like I was still a part of the team. I had extra work outs and extra weight lifting sessions, which kind of stunk a little.

The good part was that I didn't travel, which helped me stay on top of my school work. Having to work year round just to get on the same level as the athletes in my conference made me a better person and athlete. I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

VEAA: What was it like travelling, playing, and going to school three time zones away?

BY '07: It was hard when it came to calling back home. I always had to think about what time it was back home and when I could call my parents.  My dad would try and stay up and watch my matches online but it would be  7 in Reno and 10 back home, so sometimes he wouldn't make it through the matches. The only other thing about the time difference is the jet lag I get when I come home. I would stay up late and sleep in until noon because that's what my body is used to. It takes a few days to get used to it.

VEAA: How did VA Elite help you prepare for college?

BY '07: It helped me a lot and was ultimately the reason I went to college to play volleyball in the first place.

VEAA: If you could give current VA Elite player's one piece of advice, what would it be?

BY '07: As much as practice may suck and you may not want to go, just go and do it and give it your all. It pays off in the end.

VEAA: How is VA Elite different now than it was two years ago when you played?

BY '07: After being back for the first time in a year, it seems like there is a lot more camaraderie and togetherness. All the success that comes with that is a definite plus!

VEAA: After playing your first season, what was it like going through your first Spring season?

BY '07: Last year, spring was tough. We had weights at 7 then practice at 9 then individuals at 1030, three or four times a week. With me being a redshirt freshman, I always had individuals. I never got a break, which turned out to be a good thing because I improved a lot.

But this spring, I'm not sure what to expect with it being my first spring as a "freshman". I hope things will go a lot smoother and I am better at jump roping than I was last year!