Brionna Halverson is enjoying the process at Saint Louis University
Senior defender Brionna Halverson has established herself as a key player on a Saint Louis University team that finds itself in the Top 25 rankings in NCAA D1 women’s soccer. The team is off to an 8-1 start to the 2021 season with their lone loss coming in overtime vs. Oklahoma State earlier this month. Halverson, who has started eight matches and has one goal in 2021, said, “I am very proud of our team and I think it is a good display of the hard work we have all put in this past year and how we are staying hungry for wins.”
With five regular-season matches left on the schedule, Halverson explained the keys to success down the stretch. “I think one of the biggest keys for our success in moving forward is continuing to rely on our culture that we have built and realizing how fortunate we are to be having the opportunities to play in such a crazy time in history,” she said. “I think the biggest form of pressure is continuing to stay healthy so that we are able to compete to our best ability.”
Before arriving at Saint Louis University, Halverson was a three-sport athlete at Bolivar High School. In addition to being a star on the soccer pitch, she was an All-State honorable mention performer in cross country and also lettered for the swimming team with her events including the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and a freestyle relay. “Yes, I am someone who does not want to live with “what if’s” so I made sure I was to try all the sports I was interested,” she said. “I am really thankful I did too because they were tons of fun and kept me in shape so I cannot complain!”
With the never-ending debate on young athletes specializing in one sport, Halverson said, “I felt like these opportunities allowed for me to keep my fitness, but challenged me in new ways which I truly enjoyed. I honestly feel as though people should involve themselves in other sports because you never know the areas where you’ll grow!”
Halverson’s growth as an athlete has allowed her to carve out an impressive career at SLU. She was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team as a freshman and after missing the entire 2018 season due to injury, she returned to form in 2019 and was a Second Team All-Conference selection. Brionna has three career goals to go with four assists.
Despite being a senior this season, Halverson’s journey is not over yet at Saint Louis. She explained, “I am also planning on using my years of eligibility (redshirt year along with COVID year) so that is very exciting to be continuing my journey here at SLU!”
What would senior Brionna tell freshman Brionna as she started her college journey? She answered, “This is funny because I feel like I would give her an ear full, but I guess one of the biggest things is to ENJOY THE PROCESS. There is lots to be learned on and off the field and that you’re only going to grow more into the person that you are and it’s a fun journey.”
Her journey off the pitch includes majoring in Public Health, a field that has taken center stage during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I really enjoy learning the different areas in public health and one of my favorite classes was over the pathology of viruses and that was right around the time COVID was becoming a problem so that was really interesting,” Halverson explained. “I would say that the pandemic has been an eye opener in many areas of public health. It really has made me more passionate because it is so relevant and makes the information we are learning tangible.”
With other leaders throughout our campus, we affirm our commitment to the health and safety of all #Billikens.
𝐈'𝐦 𝐢𝐧. 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧. #OneSLU pic.twitter.com/b8MZ5GVIz4
— Billiken Athletics (@SLU_Billikens) August 21, 2020
Her time outside of soccer also includes her motivational Instagram account, @EasyBrizyEats. “It is honestly one of my biggest hobbies (lacking right now, but hey we will be back!) and its honestly just a page where I want to share positivity and potential Ideas for a healthy lifestyle,” Brionna said. “Not saying I am perfect, but nutrition, lifting, and of course positive reinforcement is a passion of mine. It helps me stay accountable and if sharing my journey could impact someone in a positive light then the goal is achieved!
There are a lot of pictures of delicious meals on that feed. What are Halverson’s favorite meals to cook? She responded, “This question is one of the hardest because I am a human garbage disposal! I just love food and am one of the least pickiest people ever! But I would say as of right now three of my favorite foods right now are sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, and zucchini!”
Next up on the menu for Halverson and Saint Louis is a Sunday morning showdown with St. Bonaventure. Kickoff is set for 10 AM CT and the match will be live on ESPN+.
