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Sports

Brianna Farrelly: A Force on the Court

The Patriots sophomore is paving the way for G-V volleyball.

Don't be misled by her jovial personality. On the volleyball court, Great Valley sophomore Brianna Farrelly is as fierce a competitor as you will ever find.

You can’t view the stat sheet from any Great Valley volleyball game without noticing that Farrelly usually lead leads in several categories, including kills and digs.

“She is the perfect player,” head coach Sue Norris said. “She is athletic, enthusiastic and very respectful of other players. The biggest asset she has is that she is driven like no other player. Once she truly believes in her abilities, her confidence will come and that will take her game to a different level.”

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In last Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to class AAAA district contender Spring-Ford, Farrelly recorded 28 digs and seven kills to compliment 20 assists by Emily Norris and a 10-kill, 14-dig effort from Laura Tabbut.

“I love volleyball,” said Farrelly, 15. “My cousin Michelle [Fitz] and I used to both play basketball, but I switched to volleyball when she did and just fell in love with the game.

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"It’s such a team-oriented game, and that’s what is so fun about it. We really help each other and support each other on and off the court.”

Added coach Norris: “I was so surprised by Brianna’s ability to play all the way around the court so quickly, I saw it in her as a freshman, she has it. The sky is the limit for her, she has the height and work ethic that there no telling just what she will be able to accomplish as she grows, gets stronger and more confident.”

Five Questions with Brianna

If you could hang out with any three people, who would they be?

“Wow, let me think. First, without a doubt would be [US volleyball Olympic gold medalist] Misty May. She is amazing and would be so cool to meet. Next would be [Penn State volleyball star] Blair Brown— she is an awesome player—and Katie Fitz.”

What are your goals and dreams for the future?

“I would love to play in college, and get to study child development. I hope to be a teacher someday, so it would be great if my volleyball would open those doors for me.”

Who is one of the biggest influences on you and your game?

“Definitely coach Norris, she has helped us get in great shape this year. We are some much better conditioned, that it really helps us late in matches. My mom has always supported me in whatever I have done and comes to most of my games.”

If we tapped into your headphones, what kind of music would we hear?

“Country, definitely country. I love Taylor Swift, Toby Keith and lots of country groups. I like music that has meaning to me.”

What is your goal this season, and what are you looking forward to?

“We want to improve on last year’s results. We are a still a relatively new program. Last year Oxford beat us, and this year so we took it to them. Teams that beat us, the next time we play them we put a little target on them.”

What do you do when you’re not taking the court for the Patriots?

”I love to play all the time. I play for my club team at Synergy in King of Prussia or I play basketball, soccer whatever I can to stay active. I’m not much of a video game girl.” 

 

Brianna’s seventh grade sister Mackenzie, who plays on the eighth grade team, was quick to point out that what ever records big sister puts up, she will be aiming to surpass.

“I love Brianna and especially since she will able to drive me with her soon,” the younger Farrelly said with a smile. “We are very competitive like a lot of sisters. I think she (Brianna) is awesome, but when I get up here, I am hoping we can continue what she starts.”   

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