Brianna Moreno '24 Recruiting Profile

Since I was little, my whole life has always revolved around sports. Whether it was me in them, watching my brothers play, or even watching games on the TV. I was brought into the volleyball world when my dad was in a sand league with his coworkers. I immediately fell in love with the sport. I started my volleyball career in my 7th-grade year at John Drugan Middle School. At the time, I was doing cheer, which had been more of a priority because it was my first sport in middle school, and volleyball seemed like a side sport. I had made the B-team that year, then moved up to the A-team 8th-grade year. Since I was not getting much playing time this season, I started entertaining the idea of club volleyball. I pitched it to my parents, and they agreed for me to play on a local developmental team at Rapidfire Volleyball Club as a setter.

I never considered myself the best volleyball player at the time, but I desperately wanted to get better because I liked the sport so much. Going into my first year of tryouts for club and school, I was nervous because I was attending Montwood High School. I knew I would have to start from scratch with friends, and I also knew that there was a good chance I would not make JV or Varsity because I was still relatively new to the sport. Because I was not in the feeder pattern from middle school, I could not stay in close contact with the head coach at MHS, so I lacked information and missed the meeting for summer workouts. With this setback, I knew I had to work ten times harder in the summer to get the spot I wanted. The hard work paid off, and I was able to secure my place on the team, but the grind did not stop there. For club season, I continued to work to prepare for tryouts, and I made a national travel team with my current coaches, Coach Erica Mancera and Blythe Mancera, as a right side. They helped me see that I had more potential than I thought. I believe I was coachable and could take their corrections to become a better player on and off the court. By continuing to work hard and never giving up no matter how hard practice would get or how frustrating the process was, I made Varsity my second year in high school, starting as a right side and then transitioning to a middle hitter. From then on, I always remember where I came from and how I got to where I am. If my third year has taught me anything, it is to play like it is your last game because you never know when that will be. 

In the classroom, I am currently in the top 10% of my class with a 4.0 GPA. I am a member of the Synergi4 program and the Vice President of the National Technical Honors Society at Montwood High School. Getting good grades has always been a priority of mine, and it is the first thing that comes up when I have to choose between school and sports. Especially me being a student-athlete, there is a higher standard and expectation because we are expected to perform well off the court so we can perform well on the court. I hope to become a Physical Therapist after college because I have always been interested in body mechanics. Just like my Physical Therapist has been working hard to get me back to this sport due to an ACL and meniscus tear, I would like to do the same for other athletes.

I hope to get the opportunity to play at the college level because it is something that I highly believe I can achieve, but I know I will be okay if it doesn't happen. There is no question that when it comes to my commitment to this sport and life, I put my all into whatever I am in. I finish what I start and trust the process. Having an injury during my 2nd season on Varsity has taught me that being on the sidelines is just as important as being on the court because a person on the sideline can keep a person on the court going.