Husker at heart
Govnah.” The nickname originated at the 2012 London Olympics when the brother of USA middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo decided it was a fi tting handle for a player who seemed to be known by pretty much everyone from the Cornhusker state; Larson-Burbach grew up in the tiny town of Hooper, Neb., and later was a three-time AVCA All-American at the University of Nebraska. To give you a frame of reference for how far the Husker reach ex- tends, there’s this story from when the team was in Thailand: Randomly, somebody approached Larson-Burbach – yes, he was wearing a Huskers shirt – and said, “I know your dad.” “I was like, ‘what?” she says. “We were in Bangkok, and he was tell- ing me that he grew up near my dad. I was in complete shock. But how cool is it that there are Husker fans everywhere?” Even with that level of recognition, her plans for the future, she assures, do not include politics. Rather, her immediate focus will be to continue to apply her leadership skills to the gyms of the world, as she has very successfully over the past year with both the USA team and pro club teams in Russia and Turkey.
O
Just a little over a year ago, she was named the best blocker while playing a big role with Dinamo Kazan, her club team in the 2013-14 season, winning the prestigious European CEV Champions League title. She also helped the team win the 2014 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship. Then in October of 2014, she was one of the key factors when the U.S. women won the FIVB World Championship, the fi rst gold medal at a triple crown event in the history of the women’s program. In the spring of this year, she won the CEV Champions League again, this time with a different team: Turkey-based Eczacibasi Vitra. She followed that up with her second FIVB Women’s Club World Championship title. After both of those titles, she was selected the most valuable player. And the MVP award from the FIVB Club World Championship earned her a nice bonus of $30,000. That’s a lot of hardware in a short period of time, and it’s especially notable when you consider that the 28-year-old Larson-Burbach, at 6-1, is not one of those outside hitters who just blows you away with power and hops and big bounces. As U.S. Women’s coach Karch Kiraly puts it, “Jordan is not the most physical player in the world – she’s not the high- est jumper, doesn’t touch 11 feet – but she is the most awarded player in the world over the last 12 months.” Her success is a great testament to how far you can go by being well- rounded, by doing all the little things well on every play, by understand- ing the role you need to play and nailing it.
“I’ve always known that about myself,” she says. “I haven’t been the strongest attacker. Even in college, I wasn’t known as a strong attacker,
USAVOLLEYBALL.ORG | 39
n the U.S. Women’s National Team, Jordan Larson-Burbach is known simply as “The Governor,” although if you want to pro- nounce it the way the players pronounce it, it’s more like “The
by Don Patterson
Drawing inspiration from her small-town Nebraska roots, U.S. outside hitter Jordan Larson-Burbach has become a global force in international volleyball
JORDAN RULES: Team USA outside hitter Jordan Larson-Burbach has been on a roll the last couple of years, winning two titles at the FIVB World Club Championships and the FIVB World Championships.
“She brings such a stability to the team.
I don’t know that it’s something you can see from the stands, but it’s something you can feel on the court with her. She’s a very consistent player, so there’s a trust factor.”
Christa Dietzen, U.S. middle blocker, on teammate Jordan Larson-Burbach
PHOTO: PETER BROUILLET
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