Tina Brennan is a junior libero/defensive specialist on the Fresno
State volleyball team. She is a four-time President's List (4.0)
while being a two-time Fresno State Scholar-Athlete, WAC Scholar-Athlete
and WAC All-Academic.
The Bulldogs, who opened their season at home on Aug. 29-30, will
make their next appearance in the North Gym on Sept. 25 and 27,
when they open conference play against Rice and Tulsa, respectively.
| Q: What are some of the problems
student-athletes face today that are different from high school
or club volleyball? |
| A: The time demand playing
at the Division I level is tremendously greater than at high
school or club level This makes balancing school, both class
attendance and homework, and practice much more difficult. The
amount of traveling we do and, in turn, the amount of classes
missed makes study skills and organizational skills a necessity. |
| |
| Q: If you knew then what you
knew now, how would your preparation for Division I collegiate
volleyball be different? |
| A: Academically, I felt well
prepared coming into college. Being an athlete boosted my social
adjustment to the college atmosphere. Athletically, I don't think
you can ever be totally prepared for the rigorous life that Division
I athletics and part of the experience for me has been the total
difference from high school. So all in all, I felt like I came
in at a comfortable status. The only change I would have made
is that I would have enjoyed my weekends more and taken advantage
of the free time I had then. It’s non-existent now from
August to January. |
| |
| Q: Is there a secret to success? |
| A: Success for me comes from
organization, preparing way ahead of time and developing a relationship
with my professors. By letting them know that I am making every
effort to work into the schedule they set, they are much more
accommodating when exceptions need to be made. |
| |
| Q: What would your ideal season
be like (as a student, as an athlete or as a student-athlete)? |
| A: In a dream world, as a
student, my classes would never be at 8:00 a.m. and all tests
would be take-home. As an athlete, I would never be injured and
all our games would be home games, except we would still travel
to Hawaii in hopes of an extended weekend. As a student-athlete,
the professors, the coaches and my friends would completely understand
the true meaning and demand that go along with that title. |
| |
| Q: How do you think the game
of volleyball has changed over the years since you first got
started? |
| A: Since the addition of the
libero position, volleyball has seemed to have better ball control,
longer rallies and is a faster pace. The pace has quickened dramatically
because of rally scoring, a change that I personally like. I
think that it (rally scoring) makes the game more exciting and
favors the momentum of a team more. Add to that the increased
skill level of the players and the game is 100% different from
the junior high jungle ball that I was introduced to at a young
age. |
Sports Q & A: Digging
around with Tina Brennan