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Volleyball 11/29/2018 7:11:00 PM

Champions' TriBUne Archive

By: Braya Hunt

Champions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that will give you the student-athlete's perspective and tell their story in their voice. Braya Hunt is a junior setter/defensive specialist for the nationally ranked Baylor volleyball team that has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons. Braya's dad is Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Melvin Hunt, a former Baylor basketball letterman (1987-91):

Braya Outside of our faith, basketball has always been a unifier in our family...basketball and Baylor, because we just bleed green and gold.

When I was tiny, tiny, I remember my dad had all this Baylor gear, and I always wanted to wear it. I think I was going into middle school when my brother, Miles, got to the point where he could wear my dad's Baylor stuff. That always frustrated me that I couldn't be on the Baylor men's basketball team or the women's team. I've just always been Sic 'em-ing.

From the time I could remember, basketball has been a huge part of our life. As God directed my dad's career path, his jobs in the NBA led us to Houston, L.A., Cleveland, Denver and Dallas, and to Atlanta this year.

That's all I've ever known, so I was actually thankful for the chance to move around like that, because my collection of friends is bigger, I think, than everybody else's. It's a huge reason why I'm so outgoing and just confident, because of being the new kid in school all the time. You had to show them who you were quickly. Also, I moved at pretty crucial points, like my senior year in high school (to Dallas). We actually moved during Christmas break of my eighth-grade year (from Cleveland to Denver), which was during basketball season. That was huge for me.

My parents are the best. It was certainly a non-traditional upbringing, but my parents were committed to being creative in order to adapt. One year, we just did Christmas at the hotel. Dad had a game on the road, and we traveled there to be with him as a family. Mom hid our presents in random spots in our hotel room. I am grateful to my parents for being super thoughtful 1

The hardest part of all the moving around wasn't saying hello, it was having to say goodbye. I remember specifically the first time we moved (from Houston to Los Angeles), I was in the first grade and had the best friends. I remember sitting in my parents' room and my dad (knowing how much I liked to read books) saying, "Look, Braya, we're saying goodbye, but friends are ike you're checking out a book from the library. Sometimes, you have to put the book back, but you always know where to go back and find them. The adventures and stories are always on the shelf in your heart.''

For me, that was a light bulb moment. I'm just thankful that I have my dad's outgoing personality, because I feel like that's benefited me in school, moving around, sports and really everything. My mom's pretty shy, but she's a sweet, sweet lady.

My dad wanted to take a laid-back approach to sports, because he didn't want to force anything on us. He's very thoughtful and intentional that way. But, I always admired him, so I just wanted to do what he was doing. So, I remember when I was tiny, having a ball in my hand. My brother and I basically grew up on the sidelines of a basketball court.

In our basement in Ohio, we used to play this game we called footskeball, which was basketball with tackling. Kind of a combination of basketball and football. It was me, my brother, the Dietz's down the street and the Cooper's across the street. We actually put a hole in the basement wall, and my dad was so frustrated. My mom just thought it was the funniest thing ever.

My mom played soccer, and she was pretty good. She stopped playing when she got to college. So, I thought I would soccer, but I hated it. Just way too much running around for one goal.

In Ohio, I started being really competitive with volleyball and basketball, but I was still more into basketball. And then when we moved from Ohio to Colorado, I missed the basketball tryouts, and the team I wanted to be on was closed. So, I tried out for the most competitive volleyball team I could find, the Front Range Volleyball Club. And at that point, I dove headfirst into volleyball and knew this is my spot.

From as far back as I can remember, I had always wanted to come to Baylor and play whatever sport. Basketball wasn't in the picture, so once I knew volleyball was my ticket, I reached out to the former Baylor volleyball coach. He basically graciously said, "You're not what we're looking for, you're too small." And I was like, "Hmm, that's interesting."

I tried again and again, and every time the answer was the same. I was devastated. I had other offers to go to other places, but there was just something about Baylor. I just couldn't let it go. My parents were starting to look at me like, "Braya, you realize you have to go to school at some point. You can't just keep waiting."

My senior year of high school, we moved to Dallas, which I know is the step that God led me to take to come here. When the new coach, Coach McGuyre, came in, I sent him an email. And I don't even know if it ever got to his desk, but nothing happened right away, and I was like, "Dang, I thought this was my last chance."

I started playing for TAV out of Dallas, and it's a great, great club as well. There was a girl on the team who was supposed to play at Baylor, but she had a serious illness in her family and chose to stay home instead of coming to Baylor. As it turns out (I believe it to be God's providence), she actually told Coach McGuyre about me. That was pretty late in the recruiting process, maybe March, but he sent an assistant out to take a look at me.

And then coach Sam Erger came and watched me play at Lone Star, which is a funny story. I had to beg my coach to let me play, because I went on a mission trip to Uganda and missed three weeks of practice. I came back two days before the tournament and told the coach, "Please, please. Baylor's going to be there to see me. Please let me play."

I ended up playing on a sprained ankle, because I fell in a hole in Uganda. To Sam's credit, she could pick through my errors and mistakes and see that there was something in me. That's the coolest part. They believed in me, just from my words, because I told them I was going to be the most competitive girl, I was going to work my tail off and I was going to do well in the classroom. And I've tried my best to do all of those things.

It's just crazy the faith they had in me. Ultimately, I know this was god's plan, because Coach McGuyre saw me play for the first in person when I came here. I am so thankful for the opportunity to play here.

Two-a-days, I think, is such a defining moment for all teams. But, my freshman year, the way that Coach McGuyre talked and trained, it was like we already knew we were going to the NCAA Tournament, from the first practice. Us freshmen, we believed it and we knew it was going to happen. I'm sure Shelly Fanning and Ashley Fritcher and some of the other girls were like, "Oh yeah, hopefully we will, fingers crossed." Just the way that Coach Mac continued to speak life into it, and how we had all these All-Americans on our team, I never thought we weren't going to make it to the tournament.

When we made it my freshman year, it was so cool getting to experience that with seniors like Morgan and Alex who had worked so hard for our team. They had seen the rise of Baylor volleyball.

Last year, obviously it didn't end how we wanted, but it left us hungrier and grittier and tougher. So now, we're ready. We're getting out of the second round. Sweet 16, here we come.

My whole life, I had been dreaming of this moment, about going to Baylor. And then, it was like, what's next? My dream came true. Is this it? But, it's been cool re-dreaming the dreams.

I want to change the world for Christ. And I think that's been cultivated here. We're not only excellent on the court or in the classroom, but they really care about our spiritual wellbeing.

One of my defining moments in college was going to FCA College Advanced, which is just a camp where a bunch of athletes from all over Texas come to hang out and play games, worship together and hear the Gospel. You see God move, and you see people's lives changed. I grew up in a Christian home, but my sophomore year I rededicated my life to Christ there.

It was life-changing not only for me, but for our whole team and our culture, that we weren't just going to try to win games. We were going to try to win hearts, not just on our team, but the people we see. We just want people to see how much we love each other and how much we love the Lord, but even more than that, how much He loves us!

I love going on missions and seeing other people's culture and getting to walk with them and see how God may look different in different cultures, but also the same. Ultimately, he loves us and wants the best for us.

This summer, when we went down to Mexico to build a house for the Mendoza family, it was eye-opening to see the poverty and how we need to be thankful for everything we have. It was kind of chilly, and maybe some people were thinking about complaining. And then somebody would remind us, "Do you know what we're doing this for? We're building a house for a family, and this is going to change their life forever." Having a common goal like that is super cool.

To me, the ministry aspect is everything. I fully believe that with Christ leading, it will all work together for good. I came to Baylor as pre-med, and I could still be pre-med, but I'm doing pre-physical therapy so that I can get through a little quicker and start working. I want to make an impact overseas, so I can get into countries that can't be reached, but with medicine you can. I just want to spread the love of Christ and the Gospel wherever I go.

This has been so much better than the dream. I did not think I was going to have a team that would love me as much as they do. I love my teammates, would do anything for them. And I know they're lifelong friends. I am forever grateful for all that God has done in and through Baylor volleyball! Sic 'em!