HIGHLIGHTS: · Three-Year Letterwinner
· Preseason All-Mountain West (2014)
· All-Mountain West (2013)
· Second-Team All-WAC (2012)
· WAC Freshman of the Year (2012)
· WAC All-Freshman Team (2012)
· Utah State Invitational All-Tournament Team (2012)
· SDSU Aztec Challenge All-Tournament Team (2012)
· Academic All-WAC (2012)
· USU Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Scholar-Athlete (2012)
· Earned first-team all-region honors all four years at Westlake (Utah) High School, including first-team all-state accolades as both a junior and senior.
2014 SEASON (JR): Named Preseason all-MW... Finished the year third in the Mountain West with 1.36 blocks per set... Appeared in 25 matches with 21 startes, playing in 87 sets... Fourth on the team with 147 kills, averaging 1.69 per set with an attacking percentage of .151 (147-73-489)... Recorded four double-digit kill performances, including a double-double of 11 kills and 10 blocks against Wyoming (9/27)... Tallied a career-high 11 blocks against Oregon State (8/30)... In all, finishing second on the team with 118 total blocks, including a team-best seven solo blocks... Also recorded three assists and 24 digs during the year.
2013 SEASON (SO): Earned all-Mountain West honors to become the first USU volleyball player to earn all-conference in the Aggies' new league... Switched position to opposite side hitter after playing middle blocker in 2012... Played in 113 sets of 30 matches, earning 28 starts... Ended the season ranked 10th in the Mountain West in kills with 3.00 per set, totalling 339, with an attack percentage of .228 (339-131-911)... Had double-digit attacks in 21 matches, including posting 15 or more kills in seven matches, highlighted by a career-best performance with 21 kills as part of career-high 22.5 points against UNLV on Oct. 26... Logged a .500 or better attack percentage in four matches, highlighted by season-high .556 against San José State on Nov. 14... Had 99 total blocks (0.88 bps) with three solo and 96 block assists... Posted three or more blocks in eight matches, including season-best eight against Boise State on Sept. 18... Added five assists and 37 digs on the year.
2012 SEASON (RS-FR): Started and played in all 30 matches, playing in all 111 sets... One of three Aggies to start all 30 matches, one of six players to see action in all 30 matches and one of five players to appear in all 111 sets... Named the WAC Freshman of the Year, while also earning second-team all-WAC honors, as well as being named to the all-freshman team... Ranked third in the WAC and 20th in the NCAA in blocking (1.41 bps), while also ranking ninth in the conference in hitting percentage (.291)... Posted team-leading .291 attack percentage (188-67-416), ranking fourth on team with 1.69 kills per set... Averaged 1.41 blocks per set on 157 total blocks with seven solo and 150 block assists... The 150 blocks assists is No. 3 on USU's single-season block assists list, while the 157 total blocks is No. 3 on the Aggies' total blocks list and the .291 attack percentage is No. 10 in USU history... Had five or more total blocks in 18 matches, highlighted by career-high nine done twice and both against in-state foes, first against Southern Utah on Aug. 25 and then against Utah Valley on Oct. 9... Added eight blocks against both Sacred Heart on Sept. 1 and at Louisiana Tech on Sept. 27... Logged season-high two solo blocks at UTSA on Sept. 13... Season-high 10 kills came at Denver on Nov. 1... Hit .400 or better in 10 matches, led by season-best .636 at San José State (7-0-11), while also hitting .615 (8-0-13) in two matches, in season-opener vs. Portland on Aug. 24 and vs. Sacred Heart on Sept. 1... Posted 15 or more attempts in 13 matches, paced by season-high 21, also done twice, first against Seattle on Sept. 20 and at Idaho on Oct. 18... Earned academic all-WAC accolades.
2011 SEASON (FR): Redshirted during her first year at Utah State.
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Earned first-team all-region honors all four years at Westlake (Utah) High School, including first-team all-state accolades as both a junior and senior... Was also named her team's Best Offensive Player as a junior and Most Valuable Player as a senior... Was also a member of the Junior Olympics team helping them to a 25th-place finish in the Club Division in 2009 and an 18th-place finish in the Open Division in 2010... Also played for Club Utah... Along with volleyball, was also a three-year starter in basketball, earning all-state honors as a junior... Earned academic all-state honors as both a junior and senior, and was a member of the High Honor Roll.
PERSONAL: First name is pronounced El-ee and last name is pronounced Bray-nerd... One of four children of Bruce and Lori Brainard... Graduated with a degree in family, consumer and human development in May of 2015.
| Season |
MP |
K |
K/S |
E |
TA |
PCT |
A |
SA |
DIG |
D/S |
BS |
BA |
TB |
B/S |
| 2014 (JR) |
25 |
147 |
1.69 |
73 |
489 |
.151 |
3 |
0 |
24 |
0.28 |
7 |
111 |
118 |
1.36 |
| 2013 (SO) |
30 |
339 |
3.00 |
131 |
911 |
.228 |
5 |
0 |
37 |
0.33 |
3 |
96 |
99 |
0.88 |
| 2012 (RS-FR) |
30 |
188 |
1.69 |
67 |
416 |
.291 |
18 |
2 |
38 |
0.34 |
7 |
150 |
157 |
1.41 |
| 2011 (FR) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
85 |
674 |
2.17 |
271 |
1816 |
.222 |
26 |
2 |
99 |
0.32 |
17 |
357 |
374 |
1.20 |
