usually have a week or two week break, but that’s about all the break that we get in a typical year, so it’s pretty intense. You have to try to be good about managing aches and pains, taking care of your body.
Have you ever learned a differ- ent language? I haven’t. I played in Puerto Rico, two seasons in Austria, played in Brazil for one year, and I just got back from Poland last season, and it seems like all the teams I’ve been on, English seems to be the central language.
Do you get to be pretty close friends with your teammates overseas?
Yeah, I’ve made a lot of close friends playing overseas, close friends in Brazil, Italy, Poland, all the places that I’ve played. So it’s kind of cool to have friends in lots of places that have different backgrounds. I enjoy that part of it, meeting new people in the volleyball world.
When did you start playing volleyball?
I started playing as a junior in high school. I started really late. I had grown up playing soccer my whole life, and I thought that’s what I was going to do. I had never even thought of playing vol- leyball. Then about sopho-
on your whole career. It’s difficult. So I would just say to focus on that, reading the play well and having good eyes, because what you see is what you’re going to react to. If I throw a ball at you and you see it coming at you, you’re going to make the right move, you’re not going to just let it hit you in the face.
When you are working out, do you usually work on upper body or lower body?
HOLMES SWEET HOLMES: Russell Holmes has been delivering in the middle against rugged international foes.
more, junior year I hit a huge growth spurt, and my friends were like “What are you doing on the soccer field still? You’re huge, come play volleyball.” So I tried out for the team my junior year. It wasn’t until I started jumping and playing volleyball that I realized I could actually jump pretty well, and I think I kind of shocked myself. I didn’t know I had that. And playing soccer helped with agility and speed and footwork and being quick later- ally, so soccer was good for me, doing that my whole life helped me stay athletic.
Have you always played middle blocker in vol-
leyball? Yeah. Because I started so late, I was really
raw. I didn’t have any ball control. I couldn’t pass and do stuff like that so I think opposite or middle is what it was going to be. So they stuck me at middle, and I stayed there.
Are you glad you chose that? Yeah, it seemed to work out pretty well.
Have you always played middle too? Well, when I first started out I was thinking about becoming a setter, but the coach kind of pushed me into the middle, and that’s where I’ve stayed ever since. I actually like middle. It’s a hard position to get out everywhere, but I like it.
Yeah, I think the challenge of blocking is what I love about it.
What do you think is an important thing for a developing middle like myself to know?
I think the most important thing as a middle blocker is of course your blocking. I think if you can develop the ability to read hitters well and read the game well as the play is coming at you from the other side of the court, so that you can be involved at every end of the net, that’s the most impor- tant thing. That’s something you’ll work
We do all types of stuff. Olympic lifting, dynamic stuff, working on strength- ening our core muscles, stabilizing certain muscles and joints to prevent inju- ries. Because of the volume that we play, playing all year round, you need to be careful not only on the volleyball court but in the weight room so you’re not killing yourself. But when there is that time, like now we’ll have two or three weeks where we’re going to be here and not travel- ing, we’ll push a little more in the weight room and increase the load a little bit more. The weight room is definitely just as important as what you do out on the court. It strengthens you and can prevent many types of injuries.
Do you think beach volleyball
has helped to develop your game? Beach volleyball’s fun because I can do some of those other skills that I don’t get to work on as much in the indoor game. I get to pass and play some defense, and I don’t have to spike a quick set. It’s fun in that aspect, and it helps to work on some ball control. I don’t get to play recreationally with friends too often anymore because we’re in here ev- ery day and we’re already playing so much. I’m already tired from the day’s workout. I’ll go to the beach with friends sometimes and be like “Eh, I’ve already played for three hours, I’ve had enough, you guys go ahead.”
Do you play a lot on the beach? Yeah, well I live in Manhattan Beach.
So you can go to the beach whenever? Yeah, I like playing with friends. Yeah it’s so fun. I miss the days of going to the beach whenever you can.
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PHOTOS: PETER BROUILLET
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