“Hard work needs talent, when talent doesn’t work hard,” spoken by a true champion. Florida Atlantic’s newest volleyball transfer Brianna Anderson sends a message to anyone who wants to pursue their dreams.

Hailing from Gainesville, FL Anderson first took interest in the sport during her earlier years after looking up to her older sister and watching her play. Anderson started her collegiate volleyball career at Lousiana State University (LSU) and played there for two years. Now entering her junior year, she decided to make the ultimate switch to FAU where she now calls home.

“I missed Florida so much and wanted a different team environment. It was nice experiencing Louisiana culture, but I just knew that I wanted to be closer to home,” Anderson said when asked what prompted her transfer to Paradise.

In Anderson’s sophomore year at LSU, she had a career-high of 16 digs against Kentucky and served a career-high of three aces against Mississippi State. With a new season soon approaching, Anderson is working hard to top her previous records and achieve bigger and better things.

She stated that she is being given the freedom to play the volleyball that she is best at, which is overall helping her game. During the spring, she worked diligently to get to know FAU’s system and how things ran.

Anderson strives to be the hardest working person when she steps onto the court, but before she hits the court she enjoys worship music during her pregame warmup. She also likes to read devotionals and scriptures to get her mind in the right place.

So far her FAU experience has been great. ”I felt so loved by everyone, all of our support staff, everyone who’s ever around us, my strength coaches, athletic trainers, just everyone really shows how much they love FAU, and they really helped me and made my transition just extremely easy

Head Coach Fernanda Nelson has also made her transfer process as smooth as possible. Helping with things like volleyball, academics, and lifestyle has made Anderson feel very connected and at home. Anderson’s teammates have also made transitioning into a new town and school a great experience.

“This team culture honestly feels like a family and I know every team will say that, but I’ve never actually felt like this welcomed and loved on a team,” Anderson said. “We care for each other so much. We’re always together on the court, off the court, and always pushing each other to do better.”

Outside of her love for her volleyball family, Anderson’s other favorite things about FAU are going to the beach after class, going to watch the sunrise before class, and overall the kind people of Boca Raton

Upon graduation, Anderson plans to go to Dental school to become a dentist or an orthodontist. She says that she will always have a strong love for volleyball so she would like to stay involved with the sport and coach younger generations of players. She hopes to send the message to young players that you can do anything that you put your mind to, no matter what anyone says.