Nicole Branagh
Encyclopedia
Nicole Branagh is an American
volleyball
player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently playing beach volleyball
professionally.
Branagh played collegiately at the University of Minnesota
. She was twice named to the All-America Second Team as an outside hitter. She also was the Big Ten's co-Player of the Year in her senior season. Following graduation, she played for the US National team from 2001 to 2003, finishing her national career after the 2003 Pan American Games
, where she won a Bronze Medal and was the Top Scorer.
After spending a season as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, Branagh joined the AVP tour. She has had relatively good success on the AVP tour: she was named the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2005 and its Most Improved Player in 2006 and 2008. She partnered with Olympian Holly McPeak
for much of the 2006 season before partnering with Elaine Youngs
, McPeak's partner in the 2004 Summer Olympics
, for the remainder of the 2006 season and the 2007 season. She competed with Youngs at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Branagh credits her competitive spirit to an extended family that includes basketball players, race car drivers, down hill snow skiers, bowlers, and show jumpers. An intense rivalry on the basketball court between Branagh and her uncle, whom she could not best, led her to stop playing basketball, and to pursue volleyball.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently playing beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
professionally.
Branagh played collegiately at the University of Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
. She was twice named to the All-America Second Team as an outside hitter. She also was the Big Ten's co-Player of the Year in her senior season. Following graduation, she played for the US National team from 2001 to 2003, finishing her national career after the 2003 Pan American Games
Volleyball at the 2003 Pan American Games
This page presents the results of the Men's and Women's Volleyball Tournament during the 2003 Pan American Games, which was held from August 1 to August 17, 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...
, where she won a Bronze Medal and was the Top Scorer.
After spending a season as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, Branagh joined the AVP tour. She has had relatively good success on the AVP tour: she was named the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2005 and its Most Improved Player in 2006 and 2008. She partnered with Olympian Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak is an American beach volleyball player.McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third and second respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball...
for much of the 2006 season before partnering with Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball player.As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with teammate Holly McPeak. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP.Youngs graduated from UCLA...
, McPeak's partner in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, for the remainder of the 2006 season and the 2007 season. She competed with Youngs at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Branagh credits her competitive spirit to an extended family that includes basketball players, race car drivers, down hill snow skiers, bowlers, and show jumpers. An intense rivalry on the basketball court between Branagh and her uncle, whom she could not best, led her to stop playing basketball, and to pursue volleyball.