BreElle “Bree” Bailey is an incoming freshman this year for ASU volleyball and she is a 6-foot-4 opposite hitter. She played at Lehi High School in Highland, Utah. Trey Lanthier got a chance to talk with Bree and grab an exclusive interview.
Q. Was the early-graduation arrival of both yourself and Kizzy (McKenzie Willey) coincidence or orchestrated, seeing as both of you are from the same area?
A. Our high schools were like ten minutes away, so we played in the same region for a year. We competed at state against each other. I was actually on her club team for a year, so we knew each other very well, actually. It wasn’t like a joint decision to come here. I committed quite a bit before she did. It was totally a separate deal, but yeah, we actually knew each other really well before we came here.
Q. How did the experience of graduating early and getting into the gym in January help you as a player?
A. I tell people all the time that graduating early was the best thing that I could’ve done. It has just helped me so much, to get acclimated into the program, and not only that, but to get to know the girls a little more, and get to become a part of the team. It’s just been really nice to become acclimated to the system. It’s one of the best things I think I could’ve done. Spring is our offseason, so it’s not as intense. I got to ease into things, I guess you could say. It’s helped me a lot.
Q. How high do you feel the expectations are for this ASU team’s 2013 campaign?
A. The expectations are really high. We talk about it all the time, how this year, the goal is to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. As an incoming freshman, you know, those expectations are really high. That’s the reason why we [McKenzie Willey and I] both decided to graduate early. We wanted to be at our best, and be part of this team, so we can help this team make it to the second week of the NCAA tournament.
Q. How is the adjustment from high school volleyball to college volleyball?
A. It is a huge adjustment. The game is so much faster, and everybody’s good. In high school, you have one or two good players. Here, everybody’s good. You have to be on your game all the time. It’s really intimidating, when you first experience it, when you first get here. It’s a whole different game.
You can reach Trey Lanthier on Twitter @TreyLanthier or by email treylanthier@gmail.com.
