LYNN — Over the last few years, Lynn Classical’s girls volleyball team has been one of the top programs in the area. Arguably the best player in the Greater Boston League has had a lot to do with that.
With a stellar career in the books, Brooke Braswell has committed to Rivier University in New Hampshire to play volleyball.
“I’m really excited. When I went there, it was a very welcoming program and when I connected with the coach, it just felt different. He didn’t just talk about volleyball. He walked me through the full experience of being a student-athlete,” Braswell said. “He explained the culture and the expectations of what campus life would be like if I lived there.”
Braswell chose Rivier not just because of its volleyball team, but because of its nursing program.
“I plan on majoring in nursing, which is a very demanding and time-consuming field, so having a conversation with the coach meant a lot to me,” she said. “He explained that many athletes on the team are also nursing majors and able to balance both successfully. That really reassured me that I wouldn’t have to sacrifice my academic goals for volleyball or vice versa.”
Braswell didn’t pick up volleyball until her freshman year when she stumbled upon a sign-up sheet online.
“I didn’t know much about volleyball before I went to Classical; I quickly fell in love with the sport,” she said. “What started as something new turned into something I deeply became passionate about.”
Not only did she become passionate, but also one of Classical’s biggest threats. Braswell set a school record with 299 kills in a season, which was second in the state for her position. In addition, she recorded 74 service aces, which was the best in the state at her position, as well as 145 digs, top five for her position.
But it wasn’t always easy.
“It was a struggle for me to go from JV (junior varsity) to varsity my sophomore year. There were a lot of ups and downs where there were moments of doubt in games where I didn’t perform the way I wanted to . . . where I would start to doubt myself,” Braswell said. “Going into my junior year, I made a commitment to truly focus on improving my game and working better on being a leader. I realized that believing in myself was the key to reaching my goals. I started to set goals to become an All-Star and eventually MVP for the Greater Boston League. I’m proud to say I accomplished both of those goals by improving my game.”
Mission accomplished: GBL MVP, Daily Item Player of the Year, and a MAVCA Division 3 All-State nod.
Braswell praised her teammates, knowing her success was in part because of them.
“My teammates also played a huge role in shaping me into the player and person I am today because when I’m around a lot of people, I feel so much support. I’m so thankful for them — that I had them all four years of high school,” Braswell said. “They motivated me daily and I wanted to give them my best effort every time I stepped onto the court.”
The school played a major role in Braswell’s volleyball career — on and off the court.
“Volleyball at Classical didn’t just shape my athletic career, but also my character and my leadership. It helped me build the confidence that I didn’t have before high school,” she said. “Since I started playing sports, I feel like I became more confident over the years. Now, I’m ready to take everything I learned into the next chapter at Rivier.”
Braswell still has unfinished business with Classical as she’s gearing up for a final go-around with the softball team. As a junior, she batted .471 with 31 RBI, 32 runs, and 16 stolen bases.
