It took some convincing to get Brooke Sweat away from her familiar gym volleyball courts and onto the beach. The Canterbury School graduate and FGCU alum was perfectly comfortable indoors on the hard wood. But her then-boyfriend Nick Sweat had other ideas. He tried to get me to play beach with him," the 24-year-old FGCU career kills leader said. "And I just flat out refused." He was persistent

Flash forward a few years and Brooke Sweat, formerly Brooke Youngquist, is one of the rising stars on the AVP Tour. She and partner Kristen Batt finished seventh at the AVP Santa Barbara (Calif.) Open in early May. They were seeded 25th in the event, finishing four spots behind Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor and her partner.

For the second year in a row, Brooke Sweat was one of six players from around the country named to the Under-26 Beach National Training Team by the USA Volleyball beach department. The team will compete at the World University Games in Alanya, Turkey, later this month.

That boyfriend who urged Sweat to give beach a try is now her husband, training partner and self-proclaimed No. 1 fan.

"It's crazy what's happened in the last couple of years," Brooke Sweat said. "Nick's been traveling with me pretty much to all of my tournaments. You won't miss him in the stands. You can hear him from a mile away. He's just a big support. Obviously his suggestion has paid off."

When not traveling or training with the national team, Brooke Sweat and her husband practice daily on the backyard beach court they built on the 30-acre Estero property they share with Brooke's parents. The regulation sand court is the same as those you find on the AVP Tour. But when a ball flies stray, it doesn't bounce into rows of bleachers, rather into the woods surrounding their home.

Brooke Sweat's training partners are mostly men, friends of her husband. They don't take it easy on the 5-foot-8 defender - there's no need.

"She's as good as anyone out there," Nick Sweat said. "I've seen the potential in her all along. I've been watching and playing volleyball for a long time, and she does stuff no one else does. Really, it's all just beginning for her."

Brooke Sweat ranks fourth in digs on the AVP Tour, averaging 7.48 per game. May-Treanor is tied for third at 7.6 while 2009 AVP Rookie of the Year nominee Cindie Boosin ranks first with 8.6.

As great as Sweat is on defense, she credits her partner for much of the duo's success. Kristen Batt, a 6-foot blocker from Venice, and Sweat joined forces about a year ago. Sweat said they complement each other well - so well that Sweat's forgoing the national team's trip to Turkey in order to focus on her AVP matches and her partnership with her teammate.

"It was a tough decision (not to go to Turkey), but Kristen and I have been training so hard and working so well with each other that I just couldn't jeopardize that," Brooke Sweat said.

"We really have a great mix, and it's just starting to come together. I owe it to her to see where this goes."

BY ANNABELLE TOMETICH • This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it • June 1, 2010