University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers in the Pros: Nicole Branagh
6/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nicole Branagh was a member of Golden Gopher Volleyball from 1997-2000. Following an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention freshman season, she emerged as a star in 1998, when she earned her first of three First Team All-Big Ten honors. In 1999, she added an All-America honor to her resume. As a senior in 2000, the Orinda, Calif., native earned her third consecutive First Team All-Big Ten selection and her second straight All-America nod. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year that season. Her 2,379 career kills are the most in school history and, at the time, set a new mark for the entire Big Ten conference. That total was also sixth-best in NCAA history at the time, and still 14th in NCAA history. In 2014, Branagh was inducted into the Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame.
Branagh continued to build a successful career after her time in college had ended. She made her AVP debut in 2004 at Belmar when she qualified for the main draw. Branagh has won over 17 AVP championships over the course of her pro beach career. She represented the United States in beach volleyball during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she placed fifth with partner Elaine Youngs. She, and partner, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, are set to compete in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour this summer. We checked in with Branagh prior to her FIVB tour. See how she got to the University of Minnesota, her upcoming tour and making the shift from indoor to beach volleyball.
USA VOLLEYBALL BEACH NEWS
Gophersports.com: How did you decide to come to Minnesota?
Nicole Branagh: I actually cancelled my recruiting trip there or wasn't going to take one because I thought there was no way I will go that far away for college. I'm from California! I went on some other trips and what changed my mind was that Mike Hebert wrote me a personal note. I guess it just really meant a lot to me and I thought, I should go there, you never know what can happen. So, I went on that recruiting trip. My parents went on some other recruiting trips, but not to Minnesota because of scheduling and of course, that one ended up being the one that I loved. I just had that feeling. I know it sounds corny, but when I was there, everything kind of fell into place and felt right. I got home and said `that's the spot.' It just felt different than all the other visits I had been on. I think with the coaching staff, the players, the school, the support system they have, the education; it was just amazing. I went back a month or two later with my parents so they could see it too, show them around and to get another weekend there to see the team play. I have nothing but positive things to say about it. When people ask me now where I went, I am just gushing about the U. I just loved it there, and I loved my time there. When I meet people from Minnesota I always get very excited and tell them I went there. I am happy it all worked out. I keep asking when beach will be at Minnesota!
GS: Your class and the class behind you escalated Gopher Volleyball to the next level. Did you know that you were a part of something special from the beginning or could you feel that while you were at Minnesota?
NB: I don't know if I knew that from the beginning, but I knew that with the new coaching staff, programs are bringing coaches in for various different reasons. I knew Mike (Hebert), Maurice (Batie) and Nao (Ikeda) were a new coaching staff and they were going to bring in people that worked for them. I knew they had great success at Illinois and Mike is one of the all-time best coaches of the college game and beyond. We had eight in our freshmen recruiting class, which was their first recruiting class to come into Minnesota. I knew from the beginning they were trying to build up the program. To me, that was very interesting to be a part of. Before I committed I thought it would be really cool to be a part of a team that was trying to turn around and build the program. I didn't know what my role would be coming in freshmen year at all. I was starting freshman year and I was not expecting that at all. Every year we got better. My sophomore year (1998) we didn't make it to the tournament and that was disappointing. Looking at the big picture, things take time to turn around and I think those next two years we really grew as a team, grew as a program, and started moving up in the ranks and in the Big Ten. I was very proud to be a part of that beginning process of change.
Even now, the program has just exploded. Hugh (McCutcheon) has taken over and done a wonderful job there. I feel proud to be a part of that beginning process and see how it has continued over the years and really become a power house volleyball school.
GS: Do you have a favorite memory of playing at Minnesota?
NB: I have so many. I think just my overall entire experience at Minnesota. It was so positive and there's so many that they just kind of all go together. For a single game, one of them of course was a huge game at Penn State when we beat them (Sept. 29, 2000). They had some kind of crazy number of games won (87-straight). I remember we were at Penn State. My dad had flown in to surprise me and it was a packed house. I think it was went five sets and we won. We snapped the win streak. Back then Penn State was winning all of the championships, the Big Ten, they were unstoppable. That was definitely a highlight, beating them and snapping their streak.
GS: You are ready to embark on the FIVB tour with Kerri Walsh-Jennings. Can you talk a little bit about your upcoming tournament and how this evolved?
NB: I really was not planning on this situation this summer. I have two kids, I just had a baby last year and I was kind of planning on just playing the local tournaments. Then I got asked to play with Kerri Walsh-Jennings, and you don't say no to that. I switched gears back to full time training, double days, just trying to get back into it. I am very excited for this opportunity to team up again with her, we've had good success in the past. I know this is years later, with kids, and years on our lives, but there is some definite familiarity playing with her from before. We are just very excited to get out there and play on the world's stage. The majors are starting in Croatia and Switzerland, then we come home for Long Beach, which is a huge event for the World Series Beach Volleyball. Then we are back to Poland for World Championships. Then we are home for a couple weeks and then we go back over to Germany. It is going to be a busy summer, but a very exciting one.
GS: Beach volleyball is a game of mental toughness, how have you been able to stay so focused and remain at that high of a level in such a taxing sport?
NB: A big part of it is we have a great support staff around us with coaches, sports psychologists, and a family has been very supportive. Over the years learning how to balance all those different pieces has been able to help me focus. When I am at practice, I am just focused on that. I know that my family is taken care of, I know that my kids are in good hands. I think also figuring out your balance of practice, playing, and the kind of the breaks you need to rest. When you need a break or a day off, are also important. Sometimes you think `I have to practice', but sometimes a day off is going to help you more. Over the years learning from other players has helped. When I started with Holly McPeak, she was a veteran player and I was a rookie. I was able to see what she would do with her training and her preparation. I think as a young athlete you think you have to play in everything there is. This is also good, you're younger you can, but even at that age it is still good to kind of map out the schedule and a break or two in there. When traveling overseas, back to the US, and back overseas again, it is hard on your body. It is mentally tough as well, so just making sure you have some kind of mental and physical break in there helps to get through the grueling schedule.
GS: If you had to give anyone advice playing indoor that potentially wants to go and play professionally in beach, what kind of advice would you give those individuals?
NB: The best advice I can give is that you just have to go out and try it. The basic fundamentals are the same, but it is a different game. Also, don't get frustrated because it is different and it takes time. There is a learning curve. Don't think that because you played indoor at a high level, you can be able to play, and should be able to go play on the beach. I think that happens with a lot of players, they get discouraged early on because they are not seeing the results right away. Just be patient, give it your best shot. It is an investment to come out on the beach because we don't have an automatic salary as it's all based on prize money or sponsors. Knowing that it is going to take some investment in you. When I started and when Holly McPeak asked me to play, I was still playing indoor overseas. That's where I was making money and when Holly asked me I thought, this is my shot. I stayed here (California) for the off season and wanted to see how I could do. It's scary because, indoor, you've got a contract and know that you'll get paid. The beach, it's different. Don't get discouraged, stay patient, and give it everything you have. If that's what you want to do, go out, try it, give it your best shot and then you figure it out. If it doesn't work, at least you know you don't have any regrets. I didn't want to have any regrets and wonder if it could have turned out. I took the chance, and fortunately it ended up working out. I did go back to indoor a little bit before 2012, but I love beach. I keep hoping to get a beach program at Minnesota. They could go out to Lake Calhoun like we used to back in the day!
