1 / 3

BYU's Brooke Hardy takes a swing against Utah Tech in a women's college volleyball exhibition match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, August 22, 2026. (Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald)

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

2 / 3

BYU's Brooke Hardy (4) takes a swing against Florida Gulf Coast in a women's college volleyball match in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday, August 29, 2026. (Courtesy BYU Athletics)

Courtesy BYU Athletics

3 / 3

BYU's Brooke Hardy (left) rises up to block Utah Valley's Brielle Rueckert in a women's college volleyball match on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

❮ ❯

Rob Neilson’s first few months as the new head coach of BYU women’s volleyball had its share of sleepless nights.

One of those concerns was the middle of the Cougars attack.

BYU was returning 6-foot-5 All-American Brielle Kemavor for her senior season and talented though oft-injured Mia Lee. But Kemavor ended up getting off-season surgery and Lee transferred to TCU. Recruited by the previous staff was former Pitt middle Rachel Jepsen, who was returning from a church mission, and 6-foot freshman Brooke Hardy.

No wonder Neilson was, as he put it, waking up at 3 a.m. some mornings.

Seven matches into the 2026 season, BYU’s middles have been a strength. While Kemavor hasn’t played yet, Hardy has been terrific and the addition of former All-SEC middle KJ Burgess, who joined the program in May, has solidified the position.

“It’s always been a strength at BYU that we’ve had good middle blocker play, so it’s a luxury, and we’re grateful to have it,” Neilson said. “It’s it’s not common, right? Usually, you’re falling off quite a bit at three, or especially four. But man, we got some kids that can play.”

Hardy was a four-time Idaho player of the year at Fruitland High School in Idaho, a 4.0 student who Neilson also recruited while he was at Utah State. This season, Hardy is a huge offensive threat, hitting .419 to go along with eight aces, 15 digs and 27 total blocks.

“When I came here in January, BK (Kemavor) was still playing with us, and everything was good,” Hardy said. “BK, Rachel and then me. How cool is it that I have the opportunity to play in practice with an All-American like BK? She literally made me better.

“I just came in with the mindset that I was going to work the hardest I could and try to outwork the other middle on the other team. I think I try to play to my strengths because I’m a little undersized for a middle. So I really focus on working on transitioning fast and being up and available. Once I knew that BK was injured, I just wanted to show up for this team.”

With Kemavor mending, Hardy and Burgess have been rotating through most of the reps at middle blocker, with Burgess leading the Big 12 in blocks per set (1.75) and Hardy pretty much an automatic kill on the quick set.

“Brooke’s been phenomenal, right?” Neilson said. “She’s been, offensively, our best middle blocker for a month and and a half in practice and that’s the way she operates out here. She sees the game so well. She’s our serving middle blocker and really puts pressure on opposing teams. She can play defense and is just someone that can do it all, and to do that as a freshman is so impressive.”

Hardy perfected her craft playing club volleyball for the Idaho Crush and former BYU standout Caroline Bower, who has had four daughters (Morgan, Whitney, Eden and Alex) play for the Cougars. With her size and quickness, Hardy reminds older BYU women’s volleyball fans of Whitney Young Howard, another Idaho native who helped lead the Cougars to the 2014 NCAA title match.

“Don’t underestimate Idaho, us and our potatoes,” Hardy said. “I love Caroline Bower so much. I played for Idaho Crush for six years and I feel they do such a good job of developing athletes. It’s really special there because we pull from a wide area of people and small towns.”

Hardy said she connected with Neilson and his coaching staff during the recruiting process and was overjoyed to find out he had taken the BYU job.

Neilson knows he’s got a prize in Hardy.

“She’s so athletic,” he said. “You knew she could move around and knew she was a good volleyball player. She can pass, she can play pin to pin. But what you don’t expect is she has the ability to see what’s open and then the hand control to go hit what’s open. She has them both.”

The No. 24 Cougars (6-1) overpowered Utah Valley on Tuesday 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-16) while resting Burgess and starting pin hitter Sophie Callahan. Hardy played a huge part in the victory, hitting .750 (six kills on eight swings with zero errors). She added two aces, five digs, six block assists and two assists, including a surprising back set for a point when BYU was out of system.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, maybe I’m a setter now,'” Hardy said with a laugh.

Neilson said: “Brooke has great hands and great ball control everywhere. You don’t know what to expect when the ball goes up and your middle’s going to take it. You start thinking, ‘Oh, something not good is going to happen,’ but with her you know everything is dialed in and for a freshman to be doing that, it’s special.”

Neilson said Kemavor is “close to being ready to play” but isn’t handing her the starting job just out of reflex.

“The question is ‘Can she play at a level that’s going to beat out Brooke and KJ?’ She’s got to get back to a pretty significant level. She’s got to get back to where she’s 80 or 90 percent. She needs to build her strength. We’re making progress, but it’ll take some time. Right now we’ve got three middles that can give her time, so we can be conservative so that she can really be in good shape when she comes back.”

The Cougars hit a season-high .520 against Utah Valley on Tuesday, led by Ellie Mortensen (.471) and Claire Little-Chambers (.500) with nine kills each. Libero Lulu Po’uha finished with 18 kills as BYU ran its record against the Wolverines to 22-0.

The Cougars have two more matches this week against in-state opponents, playing Thursday at Weber State and Saturday at home against Neilson’s former club in Utah State.

BYU is 66-0 all-time against the Wildcats and 55-15 against the Aggies. The Cougars open Big 12 play in the Smith Fieldhouse vs. Baylor on September 25.