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“Have a Moment Kid!”
For the players on the PA Strikers National Team that’s just not a saying, it’s their team mission statement. It’s also the phrase you’ll hear most often when the team plays because they use it to motivate each other—a reminder of sorts to just relax and do what they do best.
And ironically, one of the few things top prospect Brianna (“Bre”) Peck was certain of as the recruiting process with began for her and her Class of 2021 on September 1was that she was looking to have a “Moment.”
The naturally athletic 5-foot-10 shortstop and right-handed pitcher—who was named the 2019 Pennsylvania High School Softball Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore—had just that when she met coaches Pete D’Amour, Kirin Kumar and Doug Gillis on campus at the brand new state-of-the-art Virginia Tech Softball Performance Center just a few days ago.
According to Peck—who not only visited the campus with her PA Striker teammates when she was just 13, but also pitched and played two games on the Tech Softball Park field during the visit—she felt right at home from the moment she stepped back on campus.
“I loved the campus the first time I was there years ago,” she remembers, “but going back the second time was truly special.”
The junior said she had a better understanding of what she wanted from her college experience and could feel she was having the confirming experience she was hoping for.
“As soon as I met Coach Pete, I felt like I could talk to him about anything” said Peck as she tells the story of her initial meeting with the Virginia Tech Coaching staff.
“Then Coach Doug caught me while I pitched and he made it fun. He was making jokes and goofing around and he made me feel so comfortable. I am usually really nervous when I meet new people, but I didn’t feel that way at all with either Coach Pete or Coach Doug.”
Meeting “Coach 2K” (Kumar) at lunch later that day made Peck feel like she hit the trifecta.
“Coach Kumar was really great too. She answered all of my questions; not just about softball, but about the academic side of the university too.”
As the weekend visit continued for the highly sought-after player from PA; the connection she felt to the coaches and the feeling of excitement in general just kept getting stronger. After touring the campus and the Hokie Softball locker room, Peck talked with D’Amour and Kumar about her future.
Less than 48 hours later, with some of her biggest supporters by her side, the athlete could barely contain herself when she called the head coach to tell him the great news that she wanted to commit and describe the feeling of pride she felt in joining the Virginia Tech softball program.
As the call ended and Peck’s face gleamed with happiness, it was confirmed: the Extra Inning Softball High School All-American and 2021 Extra Elite 100 honoree had finally found her magical moment.
— Camille Hayes, PA Strikers
Here’s a closer look at this recent ACC commit…
*** Scroll down to learn more on Bre including her softball ritual to stay relaxed and the quirky habit that she feels makes her play better (and probably keeps her teammates away on the bench!)…