Senior Liz Brannick is finishing the last season of her collegiate athletic career at the top of her game, having broken her career-high score twice in the past weeks. She sat down with The Collegian to discuss who influenced her growing up, what her experience at Hillsdale College was like, and how it feels to finally come to the end of this “roller coaster” season.
What are the biggest things in your mind as you come to the end of your career?
With the season coming to an end and the tournament just around the corner, I never know how many more practices we will have, so I am really trying to enjoy every practice and enjoy time with my teammates.
What have you most enjoyed during your time here at Hillsdale?
Kappa has been my most enjoyable and rewarding experience here at Hillsdale. I have had so much fun being a part of Kappa. I truly don’t know what I would do without my amazing Kappa sisters.
What has your final season been like?
Very different from any other. It has been a bit of a roller coaster with my own personal playing experience going from starting, to not starting, to back starting again. I have grown more this season than any of my other past seasons. I feel that I have learned to have fun with basketball and to really enjoy my time on the court.
What is the key to success for your team?
Executing the game plan each game. Every team in the GLIAC is very unique. We prepare every week putting in new offenses and defenses that will work best for the particular team we are playing. The games we have won we have executed the game plan.
Who has influenced you most as a player and as a person while at Hillsdale?
My dad. He has so much passion and love for the game of basketball [that] he sometimes drives from Jackson to shoot with me on his lunch break. He has been my coach since I was in the third grade and he pushes me as a player and as a person to reach my full potential every day.
What would you say to a freshman just embarking on the journey you’re finishing?
I would tell them to get involved. Don’t wait until you are a junior or senior to engage in campus activities. Hillsdale is so much more rewarding when you are involved in campus life. I would also tell them to enjoy every day on the court. Find something fun about practice. Our team is pretty hilarious so that really shouldn’t be very hard.
What was it like to beat your career high score twice in two weeks?
It was a fun experience. I feel like my team is really coming together. We are playing as a team and passing the ball really well. [Senior] Chelsea Harrison and I have developed really good chemistry on the court, and that is how I have been able to score.
What are your expectations on yourself when you’re playing?
Every game I want to beat the player I am guarding. I focus on grabbing more rebounds, and holding her to fewer points than I score.
