Nicole Branagh
Born: Jan. 31, 1979
Hometown: Orinda, Calif.
Resides: Torrance, Calif.
Height: 6-2
College: Minnesota
Current Coach: Liz Masakayan
Olympic History: 2008 Women's Beach Volleyball
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 - Playing with Tyra Turner, Nicole finished on the podium in the final two events of the FIVB Beach season. The duo came in second in Thailand (Nov. 4-9) and third in China (Nov. 11-16) to close out the year... Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Nicole partnered with fellow Olympian Kerri Walsh to win the FIVB beach tour event in Dubai. The pair went 6-0 and did not lose a set. They beat compatriots Jen Boss and April Ross, 21-18, 21-19, in the final... Nicole and partner Elaine Youngs, who were ranked fifth, finished tied for fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, falling in the quarterfinals (17-21, 13-21) to the fourth-ranked Chinese team of Xue Chen and Zhang Xi, which went on to win the bronze medal. Nicole was clocked with one of the fastest serves of the tournament at 49 miles per hour... Nicole and Elaine clinched the second U.S. women's beach volleyball Olympic spot at the FIVB World Tour Grand Slam event in Moscow on July 5. Going into the event, Nicole and Elaine led compatriots Jen Boss and April Ross by just 80 Olympic qualifying points. Although Branagh and Youngs won the silver medal, it actually secured enough points for the slot with a 21-17, 21-14 semifinal win in 37 minutes over fourth-seeded Brazilians Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro. Nicole and Elaine added another 160 points to their Olympic qualifying total for their best eight finishes on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour since May 2007. The win eliminated compatriots Jen Boss and April Ross from Beijing consideration, although there was one qualifying event left... Nicole and Elaine played in eight FIVB events in 2008 prior to the Olympic Games and won one gold medal (Barcelona), one silver (Moscow) and two bronze (Seoul and Paris). They have won $68,450... Nicole's serve was clocked at 85.7 kph (53.2 mph) at the SWATCH FIVB World Tour stop in Barcelona (May 26-30), where she was also named the most outstanding player. 2007 – Branagh and Youngs played in eight tournaments with one second-place finish (Phuket, Thailand) and two thirds (Fortaleza, Brazil; St. Petersburg, Russia)... Won $57,200... Finished season ranked 19th... Nicole’s serve was clocked at 77.6 kph (48.2 mph) at the World Tour stop in Gstaad, Switzerland. 2006 - Played in eight tournaments but did not medal... Finished with one fourth and two fifths... Won $21,450... Finished season ranked 53rd.
DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Prior to the Olympic Games, Nicole and Elaine played in eight AVP tournaments, finishing first once, second three times and third three times. They have won $49,750. 2007 - Played in 15 AVP events, winning four, finishing second in seven and placing third in two. Also had two other top-10 finishes... Won $185,225 and finished season ranked 3rd. 2006 - Played in 16 AVP events with two second-place finishes and six third placings... Finished seven other times in the top 10... Won $65,850 and finished season ranked 8th. 2005 - Played in 11 AVP events but did not medal. Had eight top 10 finishes.... Won $14,712.50 and finished season ranked 21st. 2004 - Played in five AVP events with one top-10 finish... Won 2,430 and finished season ranked 43rd.
PARTNERS: 2008 - Elaine Youngs. 2007 - Elaine Youngs. 2006 - Holly McPeak.
HONORS: 2006 - AVP Most Improved Player. 2005 - AVP Rookie of the Year.
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS: While at Minnesota, she was a two-year second team All American and Big 10 Player of the Year in 2000... Was first-team all-conference three years after getting honorable mention her freshman season... When she finished playing, Nicole had tallied the most kills in Big Ten history (2,379), and ranked third in career digs in school history... Her career kill total was sixth in NCAA Division I history, yet she had played in fewer games than any of the top five.
