To those following volleyball for quite some time now, the surname Fuerbringer may ring a bell. Matt Fuerbringer, well-known for being a pro beach volleyball player and assistant coach of the USA Men’s national team, is closely following the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship. The reason? His daughter, Charlie Fuerbringer, Mira Costa’s Daily Breeze Girls Athlete of the Year, is competing with the U19 national team at the Worlds, that has just started in Osijek, Croatia and Szeged, Hungary.

17-year-old, Charlie is experiencing the emotion of the World Championship since the very beginning of the competition.

The tournament will be streamed live on the Volleyball World YouTube channel.

“It is awesome here, this is my first time in Croatia. I haven’t been able to explore that much, but so far, it has been great.”

Team USA started on a positive note in the competition after a hard-fought win in five sets against the team of Korea.

“It was a little rocky start at the match today, obviously first one at the tournament. We were all pretty shaky, but we got used to it as the match was unfolding. It was super fun!”

Charlie, who had almost lost her voice cheering with her teammates during the match, is especially grateful to be at the Worlds with her team.

“We didn’t have that much time to prepare together, but it is amazing that in such a short period of time we have become best friends, we are really close The preparation for the Championship was intense, and hard, but we had a great time. The girls on the team made it really easy.”

And while the preparation process has been an intense one, the goal always remains the same.

“The main goal is to always win. Some other goals are just to take this opportunity and really cherish it, because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We all know that, and we are very grateful. Of course, another goal is to just to go out there and have the most fun we can. These girls are insanely funny, insanely cool to be with.”

Volleyball runs through Charlie’s veins - besides her father, her mother has been also a volleyball player, and a coach to date. Her uncle, David McKenzie competed at 2012 Olympic Games in men's volleyball.

“My parents own a volleyball club, so I grew up there, with clinics, trainings, touching the ball from a very young age, maybe before even being able to walk,” Charlie says, smiling.

Standing at 181cm tall, Charlie is happy to be a setter, saying that this is the role that fits her the best.

“My mum is a setter, but I think that growing up, I have just been revealing myself more like a leader, I have taken the leadership role. That’s what being a setter is all about - being the leader, the biggest competitor, and I am definitely the biggest competitor out there, so it just fits me perfectly. Additionally, I love touching the ball at every play.”

Coaches and teammates of the player who has twice won the open division national titles at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship point out her ability to think strategically and tactically, while being on the court.

“Volleyball IQ just comes from playing so much, almost naturally. And with the volleyball family I come from, it is almost implemented in my DNA. I have grown with the game, know so much about the game, therefore my volleyball IQ is so high, especially being a setter out there.”

The promising US setter counts on the great support of her family at the World Championship, who are encouraging her with texts and calls.

“However, they are not forcing me on anything, they are only encouraging and supporting me on the game. My dad is texting me a lot, he says: ‘Hey, just go out there, be you, be the competitive player you are, just play volleyball.”

When she is not in the gym, you can find Charlie on the beach, playing some more…beach volleyball.

“I live on the beach back home and we are out there almost every week, enjoying. It does help me also to improve my performance in the gym. The ball control on the beach is very hard, and that translates to the game. It adds to the Volleyball IQ, - being able to get all these reps. That’s definitely my second sport, I love it.”

The young Fuerbringer dreams of exploring the volleyball abroad.

“My goal after college is definitely to play somewhere abroad, somewhere in Europe, out of my country. I want to explore the world.”

Quick links:
FIVB Volleyball Girls' U19 World Championship
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