Meet Ashlyn Browning and Brianna Moore; they are currently volleyball players at Flowery Branch High and both are juniors. Brianna’s parents are Brian and Allison Moore, and she is the oldest of four children. Ashlyn has played four years of club volleyball, her parents are Jacquelyn and Scott Browning, and she has one younger sibling.

Here are some of their achievements:

Ashlyn: 2018 GICAA All-State Volleyball, 2019 GAPPS Volleyball All-Star

Brianna: 2019 & 2019 All- State, 2018 & 2019- all region, 2019 Varsity MVP

Q: What is your favorite thing about Flowery Branch High School? 

Brianna: “I love the volleyball program; it’s like a little family, and everyone at The Branch is super welcoming, especially to newer students, and of course, the football games are extremely fun.”

Ashlyn: “I think everyone has been really friendly and welcoming at the school, both the students and the teachers, especially the volleyball team, they have all been so nice.”

Q: Why do you love the sport you do?

B: “I love volleyball because it’s such a team sport; you win together, you lose together, and I feel like it’s such a family. The club and school volleyball teams I’ve played for in the past are all my best friends, and we still even talk offseason. I also love the competitive aspect, like when someone gets a kill, you just celebrate together as a team.”

A: “I love the adrenaline that it gives you, and I love the competitive drive, but I also love the part where you get to bond with others and just help push your team mate.”

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in Hall county? 

B: “La Parrilla, it’s so good. My to-go order always changes, but one of my all-time favorites is the grilled chicken quesadilla.”

A: “I know this sounds cheesy, but I really like Steak and Shake. I’m a big fan. I normally get the chicken tender platter, and then I love the Reese’s milkshake.”

Q: Who’s your favorite Teacher or Coach, and why? 

B: “My favorite coach of all time is Brent Bridger; he’s a trainer I’ve been going to for about two years. He is so encouraging, but he will take me back to the fundamentals if I make a mistake. He also helps with the competitive aspect because volleyball is such a mental game. He helps me be competitive physically and mentally because it’s so hard to get out of your head, and he helps me so much with that part.”

A: “My favorite coach is probably Kurt Matthews; I’ve been going there for about two years at Volley Performance North (VPN). One of the reasons he’s my favorite coach is because he really believes in me and is always there to encourage me. He sees something special in me as a middle, and he reminds me that height isn’t the most important thing. He is a very straightforward person, does not sugarcoat things, but pushes me to get better and play up to a higher competition to improve my skills and game.”

Q: Why do you love Hall County?

B: “I love Hall County because it’s such a good environment, all my family lives around here, and I think it has a great small town close community vibe.”

A: “I really like Hall County because I know so many people here. I’ve grown up here and love the community”

Q: What is one lesson you have learned from your sport?

B: “Definitely perseverance, there are some days when there are hard practices, and you’re like ‘how am I going to get through this?’ and you just have to keep pushing. Also, fighting an effort because the score can flip so fast, it could be 24-10, and the other team comes up and wins somehow, so you just have to keep fighting and fighting.”

A: “One lesson that I learned from volleyball is that it’s not always going to be easy, but the important thing is not to give up, and if it were easy, then everyone would do it.”

Q: What is your advice to younger athletes doing your sport?

B: “I would say perseverance, because you’re not going to be good when you start off, looking back to my middle school days I think ‘oh my gosh.’ you have to keep putting the time and effort for it because no one starts as all-stars. No one stars as a five-star recruit, you have to keep working and putting in the effort, and then you’ll get there one day. “

A: “My advice to younger athletes competing is to work hard– even when times are tough. You have to put time and effort into your sport, and practicing it will always make you better.”