Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Life as a Mountaineer – Briana Lynch
December 08, 2020 12:46 PM | Volleyball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior middle blocker Briana Lynch came to West Virginia University four years ago as a lamb, but she's sure leaving like a lion!
The Johns Creek, Georgia, resident battled shyness and a lack of self-confidence despite being an all-star performer at Chattahoochee High, once helping her team to a runner-up finish in the state tournament.
"I hope to be remembered as the shy girl who became the monster at the end," she says. "In the past, I had a lot of people saying 'oh, you are so quiet' and now they look at me and they say, 'Oh Bri, calm down!'"
Her coach, Reed Sunahara, is certainly proud of her growth and development as a student and as an athlete over the last four years at West Virginia University.
"She's made a huge jump into what she is today," he says. "When she first came to WVU she wasn't as strong as she is today. Now, she is hitting the ball with power. She's blocking better and playing with a lot of confidence, and she's actually becoming more of a leader, too. It's nice to see this growth."
Lynch admits it was a gradual process turning into the person and player she has become today, which is one of the best middle blockers in the Big 12.
Last year she earned second team all-conference honors and is on track to receive more accolades once the season resumes in the spring.
Lynch helped West Virginia to its most regular season wins ever in Big 12 play this season with sweeps over Iowa State, TCU and Kansas, and season splits against Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
She ranks fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage and eighth in blocks.
"I just wanted to take it one step at a time," she admits. "It took a while for me my freshman year because I was absolutely shy. I was afraid to talk to anyone outside my bubble, but then as soon as the girls started opening up to me I started opening up to them. From there the bond became stronger and stronger as the years went on."
She adds, "I had the mindset of doing it. Instead of being afraid of mistakes like hitting the ball in the net or getting a touch on the block and the ball going, out I'm more like, 'Do it, have fun with it and don't worry about the mistakes.' From there I built my confidence and went with the flow with everything and here I am today."
Lynch's goal is to pursue medical school once her career finishes this spring.
"After college everything is going to come full-force, especially in the medical field so I'm glad being a student-athlete is training me to be resilient in my work as well as communication with others," she says. "Since I love biology so much, I just wanted to use that knowledge to help others so I see myself as someone who is capable of doing many things."
"It's just great to see her maturity," Sunahara says. "She's doing well on the court and that gives her confidence. She does well off the court and in the classroom as well. I'm excited to see what she can do in the future, and what kind of person she's going to become because she has grown tremendously here."
"I want to be remembered as someone who is unexpected and proud of what I can do. I realized mistakes are temporary and they won't last forever, and if they do, you have to work your way around it. Not everything is going to be perfect in life," she concludes.
This Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sarah Ramundt and is presented by WVU Medicine.
The Johns Creek, Georgia, resident battled shyness and a lack of self-confidence despite being an all-star performer at Chattahoochee High, once helping her team to a runner-up finish in the state tournament.
"I hope to be remembered as the shy girl who became the monster at the end," she says. "In the past, I had a lot of people saying 'oh, you are so quiet' and now they look at me and they say, 'Oh Bri, calm down!'"
Her coach, Reed Sunahara, is certainly proud of her growth and development as a student and as an athlete over the last four years at West Virginia University.
"She's made a huge jump into what she is today," he says. "When she first came to WVU she wasn't as strong as she is today. Now, she is hitting the ball with power. She's blocking better and playing with a lot of confidence, and she's actually becoming more of a leader, too. It's nice to see this growth."
Lynch admits it was a gradual process turning into the person and player she has become today, which is one of the best middle blockers in the Big 12.
Last year she earned second team all-conference honors and is on track to receive more accolades once the season resumes in the spring.
Lynch helped West Virginia to its most regular season wins ever in Big 12 play this season with sweeps over Iowa State, TCU and Kansas, and season splits against Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
She ranks fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage and eighth in blocks.
"I just wanted to take it one step at a time," she admits. "It took a while for me my freshman year because I was absolutely shy. I was afraid to talk to anyone outside my bubble, but then as soon as the girls started opening up to me I started opening up to them. From there the bond became stronger and stronger as the years went on."
She adds, "I had the mindset of doing it. Instead of being afraid of mistakes like hitting the ball in the net or getting a touch on the block and the ball going, out I'm more like, 'Do it, have fun with it and don't worry about the mistakes.' From there I built my confidence and went with the flow with everything and here I am today."
Lynch's goal is to pursue medical school once her career finishes this spring.
"After college everything is going to come full-force, especially in the medical field so I'm glad being a student-athlete is training me to be resilient in my work as well as communication with others," she says. "Since I love biology so much, I just wanted to use that knowledge to help others so I see myself as someone who is capable of doing many things."
"It's just great to see her maturity," Sunahara says. "She's doing well on the court and that gives her confidence. She does well off the court and in the classroom as well. I'm excited to see what she can do in the future, and what kind of person she's going to become because she has grown tremendously here."
"I want to be remembered as someone who is unexpected and proud of what I can do. I realized mistakes are temporary and they won't last forever, and if they do, you have to work your way around it. Not everything is going to be perfect in life," she concludes.
This Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sarah Ramundt and is presented by WVU Medicine.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballVB: BYU Cinematic Recap
Saturday, October 04
2025 Volleyball Coal Rush Uniform Reveal
Thursday, October 02
Jen Greeny | Sept. 23 | ESPN+ Halftime Interview
Tuesday, September 30
VB: Dolphin Volleyball Classic Cinematic Recap
Sunday, September 21
