Sports
Whiz Kid: Brynn Feighery
Twelve-year-old athlete heads to national volleyball competition in June.
Name: Brynn Feighery
Age: 12
School: Oak Hill Elementary School
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Accomplishment: The Northern Virginia Volleyball Association (NVVA) 12’s Select Xtreme Team, of which Brynn Feighery is a member, won an open regional tournament last month that advances it to the 2011 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships this summer in Atlanta, GA.
Key to Awesomeness: Inspired by two of her older cousins who played volleyball, Brynn Feighery began her own volleyball career with the Chantilly Youth Association (CYA) when she was in third grade. She quickly established herself in the sport. By the spring of her fourth grade year, she had been selected to play on the fifth/sixth grade travel team, and in fifth grade, at age 10, Brynn accepted an offer to play 12 & Under select for NVVA, a nationally-ranked club.
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Brynn currently plays on the NVVA 12’s Select Xtreme Team, which has won gold in a number of recent tournaments this season including the Monument City Classic in Richmond, VA and the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington, DC. Select Xtreme remains the top-ranked 12‘s team in the Chesapeake Region.
A rare attribute that Brynn brings to the table is her strength as an all-around player. “She is now a starter and plays several positions, including setter, outside hitter, middle and defensive specialist,” said her mother, Michelle Brahaney, in an email. “This is something that very few players are able to do. Her coaches have told her how great it is that they can put her anywhere they need to on the court.”
Brynn works hard, putting in extra practice time on her own, to remain a driving force on her team. “I think I have a good court presence, leading the team as a setter,” she said. “If we start to fall behind, I bring twice as much energy to catch us back up.”
Brynn is a sixth grade student in the Advanced Academic (AA) program at , where she is also active in the SCA and chorus. In addition, Brynn swims year round for the Potomac Marlins and is in her fifth year of Girl Scouts.
“It’s tough being a student athlete,” she admitted, “but I would not change a thing; I have gained so much confidence and...feel that I have been very lucky to play with such a talented group of girls.”
Brynn looks forward to attending in the fall and eventually playing volleyball for beginning in the fall of 2013.
