Hometown girls hope to revive Fresno State volleyball program

Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

Greatest sports tandem of all time.

Over the years there have been many duos that fit this description.

Joe Montana throwing passes to Jerry Rice, John Stockton feeding the ball to Karl Malone, and of course, Brianna Clarke and Baylee Platt spiking balls on the volleyball court.

OK, if that last one didn̢۪t make sense it probably will in a few years.

Clarke and Platt are the newest members of the Fresno State volleyball team and are looking to revitalize a program searching to define itself under first-year coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell.

However, the two freshmen have been working together on the volleyball court for seven years prior and have loved every second of it.

“We’ve been together since sixth grade,â€Â Clarke said. “We’ve known each other, played together, done everything together.â€Â

And some things never change.

Whether it̢۪s Central Cal Volleyball Club, U.S. High Performance Youth National Team, a school team or just a pickup game with some friends, you can rarely find Clarke or Platt without the other.

The duo played high school volleyball together at Buchanan where they won the Central Section Title three years in a row. The duo was also named co-MVPs their senior year and took home a third place finish at the State Tournament.

Joseph Edgecomb / The Collegian

Not to mention they led their club team to multiple trips to the Junior Olympics.

I guess you could call them a younger version of Misty May-Treanor and Keri Walsh, minus the sand of course.

But, instead of leaving Fresno for college and parting ways for the first time ever, Clarke and Platt decided to take their show on the road – if you consider moving 10 minutes down the street to Fresno State – “the road.â€Â

After Platt committed to Fresno State, she called Clarke and put the pressure on.

“Baylee called and committed and then she called me and goes ‘OK Bri, it’s your turn,’â€Â Clarke said. “Two hours later my parents and I went over the pros and cons and the pros outweighed the cons so I chose Fresno State.â€Â

Clarke and Platt are already starting to give Fresno State fans something to celebrate this season.
Clarke leads the Bulldogs with 69 kills and Platt has racked up an impressive 58 kills. The two could be battling each other out for WAC Freshman of the Year honors by season̢۪s end.

But, they aren̢۪t too concerned about any of that right now.

The two freshmen are suitemates on campus and like to pass the time by singing karaoke in their rooms or making fun of each other.

“We don’t get to do things off the court because we’re playing volleyball all the time,â€Â Platt said. “We have different schedules during the day so we don’t see each other all the time, but it’s been really cool [living together].â€Â

Platt said she chose Fresno State because she truly believes the program can be revamped.

Last season, the Bulldogs only won five games under former coach Ruben Nieves, but with Netherby-Sewell at the helm, Clarke and Platt are remaining optimistic about where the program is headed.

“We really wanted to come here and help turn the program around,â€Â Clarke said. “It’s a team effort and we’re so glad to be a part of it.â€Â

The duo both agreed the best part about being at Fresno State is playing in front of friends and family
“Having the home atmosphere and being close is definitely a plus,â€Â Platt said. “Being able to play in front of our friends and family and bigger crowds. It’s cool.â€Â

Rebuilding the program will take some time, but, according to the tandem, the team is improving little-by-little every single day.

“It takes a lot of time, hard work and 100 percent effort,â€Â Clarke said.

Platt added, “And it’s not just about us. It’s going to take all of our teammates too. Without them, we’re nothing.â€Â