Growing up in Delano, Minnesota, Bria Ellefson, then Barfnecht, wasn't sure she wanted to venture far from home for college. When an email arrived from Andrea McCartney, then associate volleyball coach at the University of Sioux Falls (USF), her first instinct was to delete it.
But life had other plans for her, and a deep dive into USF showed her there was more to the school than her first impression. Fortunately, the coach found her at a tournament and changed everything. Sometimes the best choices are the ones we never knew we'd make.
The USF nursing student and volleyball athlete would go on to make history as the university's first-ever volleyball All-American in 2019.
Now a registered nurse and care coordinator at the University of Minnesota, she credits USF with transforming not just her athletic career, but her entire approach to life and service.
Before her senior season, Ellefson was ready to leave athletics altogether. But a moment of reflection helped her realize that she had been focusing too much on herself in volleyball when that isn't what she wanted from it at all.
“I told myself before my senior season that I will be playing for everyone else — for God, for my teammates, for my parents who have supported me — and not myself," said Ellefson. "And I ended up achieving the first-ever All-American in volleyball at the University.”
True to her transformed mindset, Bria doesn't view the achievement as personal glory. She sees it as an award for everyone who believed in and supported her.
"All the experiences I had at USF made me confident in who I was as a person, who I could be as a nurse and how I can impact my community and my patients," explained Ellefson.
Whether on the court or in the hospital, Bria focuses on bringing light to those around her.
"USF helped shape me into becoming a great person and a great nurse for my patients and for the community," she said. "It's not about me. It's about how this community has made me who I am."