School’s out for summer, but elite student-athletes are busier than ever. They are attending skills camps, improving their strength and conditioning, traveling the country for prestigious competitions, and navigating the wild world of recruiting. In this new Summer Daze series, The Herald checks
in with local prep standouts to see how they are handling their exciting but hectic summer sports schedule.
Bryce Larson | Kamiak High School volleyball, Class of 2012
Rewind
As volleyball player Bryce Larson gears up for her senior season at Kamiak High School in
Mukilteo, she is having an action-packed summer. Her Washington Volleyball Academy team placed 20th in the 32-team national championship tournament earlier this month in Atlanta. The spring was also eventful for Larson, a reigning Herald All-Area Second Team hitter and All-Wesco South 4A First Team selection. In April she made the biggest decision of her life, verbally committing to play for Western Washington University after receiving interest from several other programs. “It’s my dream school,” Larson said of WWU.
What’s next
In August Larson will travel to Brazil. During the 10-day trip she will live with a host family and play against Brazilian athletes in a tournament. “I’m really excited to bond with a new team,” Larson said, “because only one other girl from my (Washington Volleyball Academy) club team is going, so I get to meet a bunch of other girls. And I get to learn other stuff about the world. I’ve never travelled that far.”
When Larson returns from Brazil she will drive to Seaside, Ore., to play in a doubles beach tournament with her club teammate Sarah Baugh, a setter. Last year Larson and Baugh placed second. Larson also plans to play in a 4-on-4 beach tournament in Seaside with a few other friends.
The recruiting trail
Committing to Western Washington was a relief, Larson said. She seemed destined to play for WWU, considering that her dad once coached volleyball there and her mom played for the Vikings. “It was just such a fun environment,” Larson said of her unofficial recruiting visit to the school in Bellingham. Head coach Diane Flick and assistant coach James Suh “know how to have fun, but push you so hard. It’s just a loving team. (The Vikings) are best friends and I wanted to be a part of that the second I saw it.”
An added bonus: Larson will get to play one season with 6-foot middle blocker Bailey Jones, a Kamiak alum who is like a sister to Larson.
Changing roles
Larson is a ferocious hitter for Kamiak, but she doesn’t play that position for her club team and wasn’t recruited to hit for WWU. “I’m not tall enough,” the 5-9 Larson said, “and I can’t jump high enough, so they wanted me as a libero. I’m going in as a defensive specialist, earning that libero spot if I can.” A libero plays in the back row and is responsible for digging opponents’ hits and passing.
Always improving
Asked about her mindset as a libero, Larson said: “I have the mentality that I’m not going to let the ball drop, and so I go for everything.” Larson used to get discouraged when she flubbed a serve receive or made a bad pass. But with encouragement from Flick, the WWU head coach, Larson has bolstered her mental resiliency. “If you mess up once, it’s OK,” Larson said. “You can get the next ball.”
Pay to play
It cost $3,500, not including airfare, to play for the Washington Volleyball Academy from November through July, Larson said. On top of that, her upcoming Brazil trip will cost about $2,600. Larson’s family looks at volleyball as an investment, not just a sport. “My parents say, ‘This is your job now. You don’t need to go out and get money for us. If you keep playing to get a scholarship, then this is your job,'” said Larson.
Supportive sibling
Larson’s sister, Devin Larson, is a setter for the Central Washington University volleyball team. Devin will be a senior at Central when Bryce is a freshman at Western, which means the sisters will have a chance to play against each other. “It will definitely be weird,” Bryce said, “but it’s super fun and she’s definitely supportive of everything.”
The girls’ parents joke that they’re going to cut two shirts in half — one WWU, one CWU — and sew them together, said Bryce.
Ear candy
Although she generally prefers country music, Bryce Larson is open-minded. “I love country,” she said, “but I’ve learned that I’m very diverse in my music (preferences) and I’ll listen to anything.” Lately, she’s been listening to Taylor Swift a lot. Last year she saw Carrie Underwood’s concert at Comcast Arena.
Free time
When she takes a break from volleyball, Larson spends time with her church youth group and hangs out with friends. She also loves going to the beach and scuba diving with her dad. “We are not a sit-at-home family,” Larson said. “We always love to go do stuff.”
Snack time
“I have a big sweet tooth,” said Larson, who likes eating bagels and fruit. “What really gets me going,” she said, “is Nutella and strawberries. That combination — it just works.”
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