At times this season, Tristan Russell has been unstoppable.
The San Benito High senior can spike the ball with authority, especially when he’s reading the opponents’ block well. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Russell has something that coaches can’t teach — namely, height — and he’s definitely a late bloomer.
That’s perhaps the main reason why Russell hardly got recruited to play in college, because he didn’t start excelling at the sport until the summer of 2013, when he played for the IMUA Monterey club volleyball program.
“I started playing volleyball in the sixth grade at Rancho (San Justo Middle School), and I was never one of the best players,” Russell said. “I don’t think I distinguished myself until last year’s club season.”
Russell said playing tough competition helped him improve immensely, but he has never felt too confident about his game or abilities.
“Sometimes I get a feeling of being unstoppable, but if I think like that, it always comes back to bite me,” he said. “So I don’t want to get too cocky or have a feeling of where I’m better than anyone else.”
And therein lies the conundrum with Russell, who seemingly has the potential to play in college, if not at the Division I level than most certainly at a D-II program. Despite possessing a potent game, Russell doesn’t always play with the swagger or confidence of being one of the best outside hitters in the MBL.
Case in point: Despite having a solid 2013 season as a junior, Russell was rather nonchalant about his performance.
“I played OK, I guess,” he said.
Russell, who will be attending BYU in the fall with plans on going to graduate school afterward, has a weighted 4.3 GPA, and scored a 2010 on the SAT and 33 (36 is the highest score) on the ACT.
This year alone, Russell is taking four Advanced Placement classes, making him a true student-athlete. Russell’s two older siblings, Chris and Alyssa, are attending BYU.
“BYU seems like a good atmosphere and a great school,” said Russell, who is going to major in mechanical engineering. “Plus, it’s more affordable than a lot of other schools.”
Although the Balers have fallen short of expectations this season — they entered the week with a 4-5 record in Monterey Bay League play despite having arguably the most talented roster — Russell is enjoying what might be the final days of his competitive volleyball career.
BYU is one of the top programs in the nation, assembling some of the nation’s best recruits every year.
“I don’t think I’ll be playing volleyball at BYU, unless it’s intramurals,” Russell said.
Russell has never thought of himself as a great jumper, and while that may be true, he can still soar above the block, just like he did in the team’s first match against Seaside on March 27.
Out of the six sets he received, Russell drove home five for kills, the ball often slamming straight down onto Seaside’s end of the court. Time and again, Russell was simply too athletic and long for the shorter but fundamentally sound Seaside players.
“On good days, I can see the ball clearly and read the block,” he said. “And that’s the way things have been going for me lately.”
