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FEATURE | BVB | Tigers Talk | Nadia Brockway/Callie Humphrey

TIGERS TALKS

By: Haylie Stum

For East Texas Baptist University’s beach volleyball team, it’s all about timing. In their second year, the Tigers are committed to building the program by finding the right players dedicated to the cause. Sophomores Nadia Brockway and Callie Humphrey are two of these players. To them, the sand court brings them more than an opportunity to set up tradition. It brings them an opportunity to be teammates again.

 

Brockway and Humphrey played indoor volleyball together at V.R. Eaton High School before signing to different universities to continue their careers. Transferring from Central Christian College of Kansas after fall 2022, Brockway joined the ETBU roster for their inaugural season in spring 2023. This January, Humphrey announced her commitment to both the indoor and beach volleyball teams after spending the last two seasons at the University of Louisiana Monroe.

 

Although they grew up and played together, Brockway and Humphrey were never close while playing together in high school. Humphrey says the beach program not only unexpectedly reunited them as teammates but also created a strong bond between them.

We weren’t super close friends growing up. We knew of each other, we played together. And then, Nadia’s the reason why I’m here. She’s the one that told me to come on a visit, and now we’re roommates. She’s one of my best friends now.
CALLIE HUMPHREY

The program’s culture of love sparked a special friendship between the two girls that wasn’t there before. Brockway feels the encouragement and positivity surrounding the team has already carried ETBU beach volleyball to greater heights.

Last year, our motto was ‘from the ground up’, and this year it’s ‘brick by brick’. Right now, we’re just growing as we’ve been growing a lot, and it’s a world of a difference from last year. It’s been amazing to see from the second year.
NADIA BROCKWAY

Conviction and faith are at the core of the team’s interactions with each other and their action in the sand. Because of the players’ commitment to the program and those in it, Tiger beach volleyball trusts in the greatness on their horizon.

We love to win, but also winning isn’t the most important thing to all of us. It’s building the program and building our relationships with each other. We’re a very young team. We still have so many years to build, which is what is really important to us.”
CALLIE HUMPHREY

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