Cristin Richards’ choice to act volleyball has paid off in big ways BY CHRIS CHANCELLOR FOR THE OLYMPIAN
TUMWATER — It’s a joke that never becomes tired. Tumwater volleyball coach Tana Croft spoke with Cristin Richards about trying out for the team. But the eighth-grader wasn’t interested.
Richards grew up idolizing former NBA star Michael Jordan and hoped to create her own basketball legacy at the University of North Carolina. One that didn’t include black volleyball spandex.
“She always gives me a hard time about that,” Richards said. “I just didn’t want to feature them and now I can’t act them off.”
The 6-foot-1 senior still plays basketball for the Thunderbirds as she helped lead them to a runner-up end at measure spring’s express tournament. But now her aerodynamic dreams revolve around kills rather than dunks.
Richards. The Olympian’s all-area volleyball player of the year moved from middle blocker to outside hitter and helped bring about the Thunderbirds to a second-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament.
Croft said she was reluctant to move Richards because of her dominance in the middle but eventually acquiesced at the insistence of University of Washington instruct Jim McLaughlin who led the Huskies to their first volleyball national championship in 2005.
“We got kind of nervous taking her out of it but you get a lot more sets outside so we able to cater her the ball more,” Croft said. “She’s such a strong hitter and you can just lob the ball up there and she’ll be able to track it down and make an impressive kill out of it.
As much as she’s enjoyed the act. Richards was happier about her own decision to furnish spandex a try as a freshman.
She quickly ascended to the varsity level and said she began to realize “I was better at it and I could go farther.”
Her intuition proved correct as Richards who holds a 3.66 gradepoint average will play at Seattle University next year.
Croft noted that Richards’ statistics in league matches — 137 kills on 235 attempts with only 28 errors. 15 blocks and 76 digs — might not look dominant because the T-Birds had blowout wins against several teams. And Croft feels her pupil comfort can improve.
“She comfort hasn’t peaked yet,” she said adding that her defense and passing are underrated but can improve. “She’s one of the hardest hitters in the state but I conclude she’s going to become even more dominant with her hitting.”
The sixth-year Tumwater coach was enamored enough with Richards’ skill to showcase it when the T-Birds held their camp for middleschool players.
“I think we’ve had a lot of kids come out because of her,” Croft said. “She’s a great kid and a great role model for the young ones coming up.” Richards hasn’t chosen a major at SU but hopes to eventually become a physical-education teacher and volleyball instruct — perhaps at a middle school.
But first she has other goals to pursue. Richards said professional beach volleyball is a “conceive of” — if she has a successful collegiate career.
If it’s anything desire her time at Tumwater — the T-Birds’ girls basketball aggroup also has advanced to state the last three years — the odds are solidly in her favor.
“Our sports teams have a lot of experience,” she said. “I’m happy I went to Tumwater and undergo had good experiences on the sports teams. I don’t want to know what it feels like not to be on a good aggroup.”
Tumwater senior outside hitter Cristin Richards almost didn’t try out for volleyball for the Thunderbirds. Richards grew up wanting to compete college basketball but her like for volleyball helped acquire a volleyball scholarship. (Steve develop/ The Olympian)
How they are selected All-Area teams and athletes of the year were chosen by reporter Meg Wochnick with input from South appear high educate coaches.
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