By
John Harvey
VIRGINIA
BEACH – In a month, Briana Sutton and her Christopher Newport University
volleyball team will kick off its 2014 season with a doubleheader against Keene
State and Washington & Lee University.
The
former Jamestown High standout geared up for her second season of college
volleyball with a victory during the Virginia Beach Open held this weekend on
the Oceanfront. Sutton teamed with Andrew Thompson to win the co-ed beach
volleyball tournament. Thompson is the president of the men’s volleyball club
at CNU.
“I’ve
entered probably a total of ten (events) or so, and I’ve only won two,” Sutton
said. “Improvement was my main focus this summer. I want to take my game and my
fitness to another level.”
The
offseason work regimen has paid off. Sutton has embraced CNU’s weightlifting
program and beach training program, which has allowed her to dramatically
reduce her (body) fat percentage and increase strength and vertical leap.
“Playing beach is a completely
different game from indoor,” she explained. “It’s purely an athletic game and
teaches you that perfect form isn’t always the answer. It’s the effort and
intelligent play. It doesn’t translate exactly, but it makes you quick and jump
higher.”
Sutton
said she’s played about five tournaments this summer and can’t get enough of
it.
“I've always loved the beach,” she said. “I’m like a
child on the courts. I'm always dragging my feet in the sand and I love being
humbled on the beach. You can't just swing away and expect to win using
strength. You have to focus and think of a way to win against that specific
team.”
Sutton can’t wait for her college season to start. As a
freshman, she was a consistent contributor to a Captain’s squad which reached
the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
She plans to continue to refine her craft on the beach after
her college days are done. “I plan on eventually playing more (beach
volleyball) than indoor,” Sutton said. It’s better on your joints and it shows
you how much you can improve. Some people think they can’t get any better, but
this shows everyone a whole new level.”
No comments:
Post a Comment