For athletes, the human body is a machine. And, like machines, the body also needs fuel to provide high performance and energy. Tempe native and Corona del Sol graduate Brooke Nuneviller prioritized cooking and nutrition as much as her training to thrive from high school to college and now at the professional level.
Nuneviller played for Aztec volleyball coach Ben Maxfield all four years at Corona College, winning the 6A state title in 2016 and finishing runner-up in 2017 and 2018. Her stardom took her to Oregon State, where she played from 2018 to 2022 and established her own game. . Pursuing her professional volleyball career, she played for Nilüfer Belediespor in Turkey before returning to the United States and joining the Omaha Supernovas of the Professional Volleyball Federation. Now she has the opportunity to work toward her life goal of making the Olympic roster.
As Maxfield puts it, Brooke was “the top of the top” in high school. She played an important role as both a libero and an outside hitter, but it wasn’t until college that her diet and production skyrocketed.
“In my junior year, when I started to really excel, I started really paying attention to what kind of food was affecting my body and how how I was eating was affecting my performance. ,” Nuneviller said. “So I wanted to make a change. I wanted to get in better shape. I want to be more physical, and I think food and what I consume plays a really big role in that. Masu.”
Part of this discipline comes from healthier alternatives to restaurants and fast food, and Brooke said she’s opened up more to it through experimentation in the kitchen. “When I wanted to eat something, I tried to make a healthier version at home. And through those experiments, I started to really enjoy the process of cooking and how it influenced my sport and current career. I think I’m really starting to enjoy how it’s affecting me.”
Brooke’s fridge is packed with juices ranging from beet to cherry, along with green juices, coconut water, protein and lots of fruits and vegetables. She also loves sparkling water and loves drinking coffee so much that she owns “about 800 creamers.” And while her diet has helped her become a pro, Maxfield says it’s also her “God-given ability.”
“[It’s that] “The natural ability she has, combined with the work ethic she wants, makes her a great player,” he said. “When we needed a kill, we knew to go to her, and she’s very smart at everything. She knows where to put the ball and It wasn’t all about power. You know, she had that sensitivity.”
Maxfield said she knew what kind of athlete Brooke was before coming to Corona, having played club volleyball and the U.S. Youth National Team for years. But “by the time she was probably a sophomore, she probably knew more than I did,” he said with a laugh. Both of Brooke’s parents were volleyball players, but Beth, who played and coached at Arkansas State University and currently serves as the college recruiting director for Aspire Club, has been a huge influence in her life. . Not to mention similar traits Beth inherited, such as her tenacity on the court.
“She was always very aggressive, always very assertive. And that’s just her personality trait. I felt the same way as a player,” said her mother, Ms. Nuneviller. Brooke has already accomplished so much in her young career and says she feels like she has nothing left to prove. However, one thing she has always dreamed of is the Olympics. Brooke says her goal is to bring the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles, and that would be her dream come true.
However, like any dream, the road to success is difficult. Brooke seems to be in a difficult position as an undersized outsider or oversized libero at 5-foot-11, but she says she’s not daunted by that.
“I think if I continue to excel as an outside hitter, my chances on that roster might improve. I think the more versatile I am, the better off I’ll be in life.” Brooke, who played libero and outside, transitioned to full-time outside in Eugene, her preferred position.
“You’re involved in different aspects of the game. As a libero, you’re passing, you’re defending. As an outsider, you can do that. So you can hit, you can block. I can do it and I can serve. I just like contributing. I like being able to score, and I think it’s more fun playing outside than playing as a libero.”
Maxfield said there was no question about Brooke’s ability to earn an Olympic berth. She and her mother are confident, but she says it all depends on what happens to the existing veterans list. “I’m going to try to compete at the highest level I can,” Brook said. “And I think the Olympic roster is kind of that end goal. “I think if you want to make a roster like that, you have to put everything you have into it.”
From becoming a state champion, becoming the unquestioned leader of Corona’s girls team, to becoming star power for the Oregon Ducks, to playing overseas professionally and proving her dedicated career, Brooke Nuneviller has already shown that He seems to have achieved success in his career.
