sounds, beach volleyball is another escape.


Well, how long have you been playing? Three years.


And have you been playing libero the whole time? Yeah.


So you know that it can be a little bit boring at times because you don’t get to hit and you don’t get to block. When I play beach, I enjoy the all-around game. So that’s an escape too, and it feeds into playing indoor as well and keeps your skills sharp.


Do you play beach? Yeah, I played all last summer. It was fun. I love to set and hit and do all that kind of stuff. It’s kind of an escape for me, too.


And even if you’re not the tallest guy and you don’t jump so high, you can make up for it in other ways on the beach. You can be a good ball- control guy, have good shots, still be very competitive without being able to touch 12 feet.


How was the transition from being an outside hitter at BYU to becoming a profes- sional libero?


It’s a little bit diffi cult. It’s good in a way to have that background just because you understand the hitter’s mentality. If you ever get the chance, I would encourage you to play outside hitter just so you know what it’s like and so you can communicate with your hitters from a knowledgeable view- point rather than just speculating on what it’s like for them. Libero is more of a supportive role.


The hitters are kind of doing all the heavy lifting, so to speak. But the adjustment takes a little while, and my last coach, Hugh McCutcheon, worked with me on being completely focused on that role.


No. I’m scared to yell at people. (Laughs) ————————


matches?


Not really. If we play at night, I try to make sure I have a nap so I feel rested for the match. And I try to have a snack. I worked with a trainer who changed my thinking. A lot people think they shouldn’t eat before lifting or doing some kind of exercise, but this guy kind of taught me that your food is your fuel. You wouldn’t try to drive your car without fueling it up. Of course, you don’t want to eat a big steak


What do you have playing in your iPod before Do you have any rituals or superstitions before a match?


That varies. I like hip-hop. I don’t listen to anything crazy. Sometimes I’ll listen to slower-paced stuff, whatever I’m in the mood for. I even listen to Adele, which isn’t really fi re-up kind of music but it calms me down mentally. There are any number of ways to prepare. One of our guys listens to super thuggish rap.


Who’s the most inspirational person in your life, and why?


It would have to be my mom. She was always my biggest supporter grow- ing up – in everything, and certainly in sports. My parents separated when I was 16, and my mom made tons of sacrifi ces to facilitate me playing club volleyball and eventually going to BYU. She has been my biggest sup- porter and motivator and somebody I tremendously respect. What about you?


I would say my mom, too. She’s always


been there for me. She works two jobs every day, just trying to pay bills. She’s helping me out, trying to give me a good life, a good Christmas, keeping a roof over my head. What do you plan on doing once you retire from volleyball?


I would like to explore coach- ing because I think I know the game of volleyball, and I could be good at helping people play better. But I don’t know if I have the patience to coach younger kids, so I would want to work with college-age kids.


If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?


Libero is diffi cult mentally. If I’m an outside hitter and I shank a pass, the setter can still throw the ball up to me and I can kill it and make up for that mistake. With libero, you don’t have that. So it’s a little bit tough. But


you get used to it the more you play the position.


If you weren’t playing volleyball, what would you be doing?


Well, I can theorize what I’d be doing. I’d be signing Pujols-esque contracts with the Angels. (Laughs) But realistically, I don’t know – maybe something in the tech industry. I’m going to fi nd that out when I’m done playing volleyball. How about your hobbies? Do you surf? Every day.


You kind of have that look. If I paddle out, you’re not going to yell at me if I get in your way, are you?


PERFECT PLATFORM: U.S. Men’s National Team libero Rich Lambourne was an outside hitter at BYU.


before you play, but I do like to have some kind of snack. I like to have some pasta for lunch, and I’m a big Costco trail mix guy. Pretty legit stuff. Nuts for protein, and there’s chocolate and raisins. It’s a good snack.


What is the best advice you can give a young volleyball player like me?


I think learning all you can is very important. Just study the game and try to learn all the nuances of your position. The other thing for our position is just trying to be a leader in the back-court. Sometimes I think coaches want you to be this rah-rah, jump-around, cheerleader guy, which I don’t think is a necessity. If that’s your personal- ity, fantastic, but you have to fi gure out what kind of a player you are and try to bring that to the team.


As silly as it sounds, it would be the length of our shorts. Internation- ally, you can only have a four-inch inseam, and the last thing I want to do is be showing off my legs. How about you?


I would change the kids having to ref (after matches at tournaments) because it’s kind of a hassle. I want to get home after a long day of matches instead of reffi ng.


————————


You joined the national team in 2000? How have you managed to stay on top of your game for so long?


Well, there was a long period of paying my dues. One of the unfortunate aspects of our position is that only one guy gets to play in a given tournament, so for four years – from 2000 to 2004 – I was the second guy. I was at practice every day, but I was playing in very few matches. In 2005, a new coach (Hugh McCutcheon) came in, and then I kind of became the guy. From then until 2008, I played every match. That was very important to me because I got to de- velop my abilities in game-time situations. But it was a long road.


USAVOLLEYBALL.ORG | 35


PHOTO: PETER BROUILLET


PHOTO: FIVB


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