SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Brooklee Tran, a libero on the varsity boys volleyball team, plays a huge role in the team.

Tran, a junior at Silver Creek High School, is an essential player on the Varsity boys volleyball team. As a libero and captain, his primary role is to model for underclassmen. The libero’s job is to defend and help pass and receive the ball during the game. His contributions to the team have been major throughout his high school career.

Tran participated in various activities outside of school at a young age. “I grew up doing a lot of extra curricular activities like karate, piano, swimming, drums, taekwondo, chinese school, singing, and boy scouts,” Tran said. “I learned a lot about time management and am grateful for all the skills I’ve learned.” These experiences gave him valuable life skills, such as time management, that have helped him balance from academics and sports.

As he grew older, Tran had to reduce the number of activities he participated in due to having more important priorities. However, by eighth grade, he joined the volleyball team and quickly gained an interest in the sport of volleyball. Tran said. “I spent hours playing every day after school.” His dedication to improving his skills helped him earn a spot on the junior varsity team during his freshman year.

Other than the fact that Tran is not as tall as some of the other players, he still manages to adapt to the role of libero, a defensive position focused on passing and receiving serves, which can be a crucial part of the team. “I did not grow as tall as I wanted to and played the defensive position called ‘libero’ instead of a flashy hitter,” Tran said. “Overall the team did not win a lot but by the end of the season I earned the ‘1st team’ reward for my division.” His performance during the season earned him recognition for his hard work on the team.

Tran’s continued improvement led to his name on the varsity team in his sophomore year, where he became part of the starting six. At the end of the season, he was named “Libero of the Year” for his division.

Now in his junior year, Tran continues to play as a libero, becoming a captain and is working hard to maintain his position on the team. “Now I am in the middle of my junior year volleyball season as a libero again, and am working hard to maintain my spot and show that I am still growing,” he said.

Tran’s dedication and hard effort that has been put into volleyball, along with his ongoing improvement as a player, will be crucial to Silver Creek’s volleyball team’s success. As the season progresses, he remains focused on his role and contributing to the team’s efforts.