Lily Mitchell
Managing Editor
This past summer, Costa girls indoor volleyball player, senior Charlie Fuerbringer, made her debut representing the USA in the 2023 FIVB U19 Girls World Championship from Aug. 1 to Aug. 11. With the team carrying only 12 girls, Fuerbringer is considered one of the best highschool indoor volleyball players in the nation.
According to Fuerbringer, Team USA forms a 20-person training team with players from around the country, and chooses 12 of those 20 to compete abroad. She began her USA Volleyball career in July of 2022, but her time with the team was cut short after catching Covid-19 and was left unable to travel.
“This was my first time competing on this team,” Fuerbringer said. “Last year I trained and made it, but unfortunately I got Covid and couldn’t travel.”
This year, Fuebringer was able to train at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center and travel to Osijek, Croatia and Szeged, Hungary for the World Championships. The tournament consisted of the top athletes from 20 different countries, including South Korea, Japan, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, and Mexico.
“We only trained for six days while every other country’s team trained for up to two years,” Fuerbringer said.
Although the girls only practiced for six days as a team, they had been working towards this goal since the beginning of their volleyball careers. The USA team went into the finals on Aug. 11 undefeated. After losing the first two sets against Turkey, the U.S. made a comeback, winning the match 3-2 and taking the U19 Girls World Championship title home.
“This win meant absolutely everything to me and the team,” Fuerbringer said. “To know all of our hard work has paid off feels amazing, but it also pushes me to do better.”
Having met only a few of the girls on the team, Fuerbringer was quickly able to establish close ties with her teammates. According to Fuerbringer, the girls always pushed one another to do better as they each shared a common goal: to win.
“We were such a diverse team, and I think that is the reason we bonded so well,” Fuerbringer said. “We were with each other 24/7 on this trip, and this allowed us to connect on a deeper level.”
Fuerbringer cherishes her last year on the Costa team, claiming that it has shaped her as a player and well prepared her for any situation that comes her way. Ranked Number 1 in the nation, the Mustangs are working hard this season, but most importantly, they are having fun.
“This team is so special, and I know we can accomplish anything if we work our hardest,” Fuerbringer said. “I want this year to be fun and stress free. I hope everyone can just enjoy the amazing opportunity of playing on this team.”
Although proud of her achievements, Fuerbringer’s volleyball career doesn’t stop there. Fuerbringer has big goals for the future as she gets ready to take her skills to the collegiate level in the fall of 2024 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“No matter what I accomplish, I know there is always more to give,” Fuerbringer said. “My goal is to be the best version of myself. I hope to have a successful college career and eventually make it onto the USA Women’s National Team.”
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