Volleyball
Favorite athlete: Misty May
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Defeating our rivals (Council Rock North) my senior year on our home court.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that’s happened while competing in sports: Any middle who says they haven’t gone to spike an over pass and terribly missed is lying! You can’t help but laugh off the embarrassment.
Music on iPod: A wide variety from country to alternative.
Future plans: Attend college, major in nursing, continue to support Breast Cancer Research and play club volleyball throughout college
Favorite motto: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” – Jimmy Valvano
One goal before turning 30: To travel the world as much as possible.
One thing people don’t know about me: I’ve seen almost every Lifetime movie.
By Mary Jane Souder
When Michael Falter was looking for someone to get his team fired up before its opening round district match against Central Bucks West, he didn’t have to look far.
The Pennsbury volleyball coach called on Lauren Bransfield.
“I basically told them – not to play for me but imagine my position and get that heart and realize you never know when you won’t be able to step back on the court,” Bransfield said.
The Falcons rolled to a sweep of the Bucks, inspired, no doubt, by their senior captain’s speech. Bransfield – typically at the middle of the net – gave that pre-game speech from a wheelchair.
Bransfield’s life changed forever on Sept. 26 when she was involved in a serious automobile accident while visiting her boyfriend in Maryland
“We were just t-boned right where I was sitting,” Bransfield said. “To be honest, I don’t remember the accident or even getting in the car that day. I just remember waking up in the hospital.
“I had stomach surgery, I had a concussion, I had a broken pelvis in three spots, I had a broken collarbone in two spots and a fractured wrist that needed screws and rods to be put into place. It was a near-death experience.”
Not exactly the kind of interruption Bransfield could have anticipated when she began her final high school season. The senior middle hitter was the undisputed leader of a Falcon squad that had not lost in league play, and suddenly, volleyball was out of the picture, trumped by the goal of simply walking again on Nov. 11 when she begins physical therapy.
“At first when I woke up, I was like, ‘Okay, this isn’t a dream,’” Bransfield said.
The reality of what had happened began to hit home after she had her surgery to repair her shattered wrist two days after the accident.
“After getting all the screws and rods, I really realized, ‘Wow, this is very, very serious, and it’s going to take a while to recover from,’” she said.
After six days in the hospital, Bransfield returned home.
“It was actually the Thursday we played Council Rock North,” she said. “I was going to try to get to the game, but we got stuck in traffic and I couldn’t.”
By the following Tuesday, Bransfield was back at school in a wheel chair. She used a special walker at home.
“It was definitely a shock, and it’s very, very hard to deal with even now,” she said. “But I’ve gotten tremendous amounts of support from basically everybody I know.
“Once I’ll be able to walk again – which is in two weeks, I’m sure it will be a lot easier. I missed out on the second half of my senior season, and it’s just terrible, but at the same time, you’ve got to get through it, you’ve got to push on.”
And push on Bransfield has, admitting the mental aspect can be more difficult than the physical discomfort.
“The looking at the scars, the not being able to do anything for yourself has definitely been rougher than the actually not being able to do it because I know I will be able to,” she said.
Although there are rough spots, Bransfield has managed to put a positive spin on a difficult situation.
“Of course, it’s difficult and it’s challenging to go certain places,” she said. “But if someone is open to pushing me in the wheelchair, I can basically go anywhere.”
Watching from the sidelines is a foreign concept to Bransfield, who has been competing in sports since she was a youngster. Her introduction to volleyball in eighth grade pushed the other sports aside, and volleyball became a year-round sport.
“Something about it – the feeling of getting a kill was better than any other sport I’ve played,” she said. “It kind of suited me.
“I was tall and skinny and that’s what you basically need to play volleyball. It just fit well. It felt right to me, it felt natural – it felt like I should be on the court.”
Bransfield, according to her coach, attacks her position.
“She was ready to hit the ball every time and she was aggressive,” Falter said. “As a middle, it’s not finesse. You need to go up and you need to go up with anger and you need to go up with aggressiveness and you need to expect to get the ball every time.”
Although the 5-10 middle hitter has all the physical skills, it is her competitive nature that sets Bransfield apart.
“She is probably one of the most competitive girls I have ever coached,” Falter said. “Being a middle hitter when she comes out of the back row and goes a whole series without getting set, she is legitimately ticked off, and I like to see that.
“We struggled this year where girls literally wanted to avoid the ball at certain points in the match where she’s the type of player – give me the ball every time. I’ll take the risk.”
Bransfield admits she takes that competitive drive to every facet of her life.
“I think it stems from my father and his family, who are all about sports, so my whole life I was always – you should be the best, you should win,” she said. “I just take it naturally to other areas of my life.
“I always want to get an A on the test. I never want to get anything lower. It definitely helped me improve my GPA, improve my academics, so it’s actually a good thing.”
A vocal leader, Bransfield motivates those around her.
“She’s the kind of player who will get in your face in a good way to try and pump you up,” Falter said. “She would lead by example – always positive. She also has that desire to win and tries to instill that in others.
“We didn’t really realize how much of an influence she had on the team until it was gone. We felt a huge void – not just with her abilities. When she came back, even though she wasn’t on the court, I think it was very relaxing because we played more consistently than we had, and I think a lot of it had to do – there was just that calming presence that Lauren being there gave them.
“She’s a great teammate, she jokes around, and she’s a hard worker. On and off the court, everyone enjoyed being around her. Her outlook is fantastic.”
Bransfield lists James Madison University as her top college, and she plans to major in pediatric nursing.
“I always wanted to help people and I love kids,” she said. “After my accident, I met all the nurses and saw how great they were, and I was like, ‘this is definitely something for me.’”
Injuries will keep Bransfield off the volleyball court for quite some time, but she hopes club volleyball will be in her future.
“My orthopedic doctor said because I’m so young, there’s a good chance that I’ll be able to get my full range of motion back,” she said. “It’s not guaranteed, but I’m only 17 years old. I was healthy, and I’m going to listen to my physical therapist.
“I have a good feeling it won’t be a problem. We’ll see what happens. I’ll take it one day at a time, but I’m sure one day I’ll be able to get back on the court.”
If the past is any indicator, it’s a safe bet she will.
