That's What She Set: Q&A with Brooke Burling
10/11/2016 | Beach Volleyball
Brooke Burling is a 5'10" freshman full-time defender, who attended Waubonsie High School in Naperville, Ill. Burling served as co-captain and was team MVP in her senior year of high school and was awarded first-team All-America honors on the 2016 AVCA High School Beach All-America Team. She is one of six players to be named first team nationally. Burling experienced her first taste of collegiate play as the Wildcats took on GCU in a preseason scrimmage last weekend.
Q. What inspired you to come to Tucson all the way from Illinois?
A. Obviously for beach volleyball and U of A was always my number one school. So it's amazing to be able to play here and be a part of the team.
Q. What was your initial reaction when you found out that you were named first-team All-America?
A. I was blown away. It was definitely one of my goals before finishing my high school career and so it's honestly amazing. It's such an honor and now I'm just looking forward to my collegiate season.
Q. What are you looking forward to the most this season?
A. I'm most excited about competing at this level. Obviously playing against all my friends who all go to the different schools, it's so fun to see everyone else all in their uniforms. And just seeing what U of A has to offer.
Q. What is your earliest beach volleyball memory?
A. My earliest beach volleyball memory is first playing at Four Lakes. Four Lakes is this place back home that has 12 sand courts during the summer. I remember playing with my mom and her friends and they're the ones who go me into beach.
Q. What drives you? What is your inspiration?
A. My biggest role model is Misty May-Treanor, were both defenders and I think we have very similar personalities. I also met Kerri Walsh in person this summer so she's also a huge inspiration as well. I always have a picture of when I first started playing and of my family, they're some of my biggest inspirations. I like to know where I'm from, and what it took to get here, and I think that now that I have this opportunity, that in itself really pumps me up because I want to show what I got.
Q. Do you have a pregame ritual and does it involve a song? If so, which one?
A. I always, on the bus or right before warm ups, listen to Eminem. Lose yourself, Not Afraid, those songs just get you going.
Q. Out of all the places you have competed, what was the nicest/your favorite place to complete?
A. My favorite place is Hermosa Beach in California, I spend my summers there. I absolutely love it, it's my favorite beach and I want to eventually live there.
Q. You're a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
A. My favorite color is pink, so I'm definitely an athlete but I'm also a girly girl on the side. So definitely pink.
Follow the Cats!
For continued coverage of Arizona Wildcat Beach Volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com. Fans can keep up with the latest in Arizona Athletics by following us on Twitter (@UAbeachvb), Instagram (arizonabeachvolleyball)
Q. What inspired you to come to Tucson all the way from Illinois?
A. Obviously for beach volleyball and U of A was always my number one school. So it's amazing to be able to play here and be a part of the team.
Q. What was your initial reaction when you found out that you were named first-team All-America?
A. I was blown away. It was definitely one of my goals before finishing my high school career and so it's honestly amazing. It's such an honor and now I'm just looking forward to my collegiate season.
Q. What are you looking forward to the most this season?
A. I'm most excited about competing at this level. Obviously playing against all my friends who all go to the different schools, it's so fun to see everyone else all in their uniforms. And just seeing what U of A has to offer.
Q. What is your earliest beach volleyball memory?
A. My earliest beach volleyball memory is first playing at Four Lakes. Four Lakes is this place back home that has 12 sand courts during the summer. I remember playing with my mom and her friends and they're the ones who go me into beach.
Q. What drives you? What is your inspiration?
A. My biggest role model is Misty May-Treanor, were both defenders and I think we have very similar personalities. I also met Kerri Walsh in person this summer so she's also a huge inspiration as well. I always have a picture of when I first started playing and of my family, they're some of my biggest inspirations. I like to know where I'm from, and what it took to get here, and I think that now that I have this opportunity, that in itself really pumps me up because I want to show what I got.
Q. Do you have a pregame ritual and does it involve a song? If so, which one?
A. I always, on the bus or right before warm ups, listen to Eminem. Lose yourself, Not Afraid, those songs just get you going.
Q. Out of all the places you have competed, what was the nicest/your favorite place to complete?
A. My favorite place is Hermosa Beach in California, I spend my summers there. I absolutely love it, it's my favorite beach and I want to eventually live there.
Q. You're a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
A. My favorite color is pink, so I'm definitely an athlete but I'm also a girly girl on the side. So definitely pink.
Follow the Cats!
For continued coverage of Arizona Wildcat Beach Volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com. Fans can keep up with the latest in Arizona Athletics by following us on Twitter (@UAbeachvb), Instagram (arizonabeachvolleyball)
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