This summer, while many of her classmates from Auburn Riverside’s class of 2010 are pouring through literature from colleges, trying to decide where to go to school next year, Brooke Bray will be taking it easy, catching some rays.

This spring Bray, a junior volleyball player at Auburn Riverside, verbally committed to attend and play for the University of Montana in Missoula. Bray, one of the state’s top players, is a three-time first-team all-South Puget Sound League North Division performer.

“For me it just came down to the priority of the coach and team,” she said. “And it’s close to home to some degree. I just got along with the girls great and really liked the coaches.”

Bray said she was torn among Western Washington University, Boise State, Northern Colorado and Oregon State until she visited the Missoula campus this spring.

“I did the whole class tour and came back,” she said. “It’s a cute little town, kind of like a nicer Ellensburg. The campus is right in town. It’s always nice to have that community feel.”

Bray said she talked it over with her parents, and 2 1/2 weeks later called and accepted the school’s offer.

“I was actually more scared at first, I wanted to make sure it was the absolute, 100-percent right decision,” Bray said. “I thought at first I should wait, but now I’m glad. Everyone else in my class is still trying to decide where to go for college.”

Bray said she has been playing volleyball since she was in the fourth grade.

“My eighth-grade year I decided to stop playing basketball because I joined a traveling team and couldn’t balance those.”

Currently she plays for the Puget Sound Volleyball Club.

As a sophomore, Bray helped the Ravens finish second at the state 3A championship volleyball tournament. Bray notched 279 kills, 117 digs, 66 blocks and 11 aces that season.

In 2008, the Ravens jumped up to 4A and qualified for the West Central District III 4A tournment.

Bray said she plans to major in psychology and minor in journalism.