By Leo Adam Biga for VolleyballMag
Jordan Larson chose not to play volleyball this season.
And with the Paris Olympics drawing near, the USA Volleyball star is unapologetically self-reflective as she prepares for the last stage of a legacy-making career. Though Larson acknowledges it’s unusual that her teammates are playing overseas and she’s not, she confided, “emotionally, I just wasn’t ready to play. There’s not burnout but just a different level of what is happening around me and what I want to invest in.
“My teammates are all busting their butts overseas and working really hard and they’re probably looking at me, thinking, ‘Wait, she’s not playing but is kind of in the loop. How is this going to work?’ ”
Admittedly, she said, “Me not playing is a risk. But I also know … that getting my body healthy is really important. Staying healthy, strong and continuing to ramp up, also having support in a tough transition time, was the best thing for me.”
Larson is going all-in on what shapes up to be her last Olympics. She spurned offers to play professionally overseas or with the Pro Volleyball Federation in order to have a singular focus on getting her mind and body right at the USA Volleyball training center in Anaheim. At 37, she’s by far the oldest player in the USA gym.
Rigorously following routines helped get Larson to her status as one of the greatest ever to wear a USA uniform.
But when her well-ordered life hit a glitch a couple years ago, the three-time Olympic medalist did a reset. After leading the USA. to gold in Tokyo, where she was named tournament MVP, she considered retiring. Soon after the Games she married and took a job as an assistant coach at Texas. The marriage didn’t work out and Larson left Austin for the sanctuary of home – her native Nebraska.
“When you’re traveling as an athlete you don’t really have a home base, you’re kind of living out of your suitcase. I’ve always had a sense of community being from Nebraska. So coming back, getting grounded again, being surrounded by people who love and pour into me has been a big part of building myself back up … and figuring out what my next steps are. That’s kind of what this time has been about.”
Larson played pro seasons in China and Italy in 2023, committed to make another run at the 2024 Olympics, and then took a job as an assistant at Nebraska, where she is one of the program’s all-time greats.
She rejoined her former coach and mentor John Cook at Nebraska, where she led Big Red to the 2006 NCAA championship. She had a pretty strong first season: Nebraska lost to Texas in the NCAA title match.
“I thought my life was on a pretty good trajectory, where I was in a good place,” Larson said. “It’s taken me a lot emotionally to build back up and get in a place where I’m like, ‘This is where I want to be and how I want it to be.’ It’s been a tough year and a half. I’m grateful for where I’m at with that.”
Thus, she opted for “being in Nebraska, having support, and working hard in the weight room.” Besides, she said, “sometimes as I’ve gotten older playing less is actually better on my joints.”
“I’ve given everything I had”
While Larson doesn’t make her age an issue or excuse, she’s realistic about what comes with advancing years.
“As the years have gone, staying in shape has been harder. The aches and pains, much larger.”
To counteract the toll of time, she said, “I’m trying to remain as consistent as I can, and I’m pretty routine based. I kind of do a lot of the same things every day. which probably would get monotonous for a lot of people. But I just really fell in love with the process. I never thought I would be playing at this age. At 24 I played with girls over 30 and I was like, what are they doing with their lives? They have nothing better to do? I love the sport so much and it’s given me so much. I’m just grateful I still get to come out and compete.
“Whenever that time is I step away from the sport I can have full confidence in knowing I’ve given everything I had and poured every ounce of talent and heart and love into it that I could. I strive for that every single day. Then I can walk away with peace.”
Her one-day-at-a-time credo is a concession to the recent bumps in the road she experienced.
“As much as you want to plan things out, life doesn’t always go as planned. I was the ultimate planner. When things went awry I was like, whoa. Now if things fluctuate I just gotta go with the flow. You just never know what can happen. It’s really just cherishing each moment. It all seems so much more present and real, and maybe it’s because I don’t know how long this is going to last.”
The comfort of returning to her Husker family can’t be overestimated, although, she said, “Originally when I came back from Texas I didn’t get involved with Nebraska out of respect for Texas. I just didn’t think it was appropriate. I did know I wanted to get into coaching, but I was evaluating if I still wanted to play. After last Olympics I think I was in a pretty good place to step away, And I still am. I feel like whatever happens I’m in a good place emotionally and physically. I can step away at any point. But I’m still getting opportunities.”
The prospect of winning back to back golds is motivation enough. Though she points out “Paris isn’t guaranteed” for her, no one’s betting against the team captain making the final roster. Then there are the offers from the new pro leagues.
“If I can still do it and I feel great and mentally I’m there, then why not? If I’m playing at a really high level then I’d feel good about stepping away from it. If my play starts to dip or other things start to hinder, then maybe that’s where I would reevaluate. But I’m still getting opportunities and I still love it so I’m going to stay in it for however long I can.”
“Comfortable in knowing she’s never arrived”
Armed with a new sense of mindfulness, Larson finds herself appreciative of giving herself grace, which in turn gives her a clear perspective.
“To be honest I look back on my life and oftentimes I judge myself on certain decisions and actions. But as life has happened I’ve never wanted to live with a feeling of regret. And I can tell you that I don’t. There’s not one thing I would change. I’ve lived a great life. While the path hasn’t always been smooth it’s been absolutely worth it.”
Revisiting past failures in her playing career is more about learning from mistakes and stoking her competitive fire than it is dwelling on disappointment.
For example, she recently watched matches from the 2016 Rio Olympics, including when Serbia upset the top-ranked USA in the semifinals.
“I replayed the fifth set to see how things transpired and what we could have done better. Watching a failure or a loss can create a mood. It also ignites this anger of, well, all right, I’m not going to let that happen again. On the flip side, I enjoy watching myself and others do things right. Being able to watch skills or actions done right helps me create a foundation to repeat that action.”
Veteran enough to have seen it all, she knows better than anyone what success requires.
“It’s so interesting because I know that talent isn’t the only thing that got me here. I know there’s a lot more physical athletic volleyball players than I ever was. I hope my success gives other girls hope that you don’t have to have it all. You don’t have to be the highest jumper, you don’t have to hit the hardest, you don’t have to be the fastest. Are those things important? Yes, they are. But learning how to play the game, being strong mentally, pushing yourself beyond what you think you’re capable of — those things set you apart. Constantly striving to be better the next day — that mindset alone can take you far.”
Even at this stage in her career, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter concedes, “It’s hard for me to accept sometimes there are more physical athletes in the volleyball world. But my mind has allowed me to play at a high level for a really long time. When I got to the national team (in 2009) I realized my talent only gets me so far. To be good I had to figure out other ways to be good and that’s maybe using my voice, learning how to win games with my mind. I really had to adapt and adjust.”
Then there’s her uber competitiveness.
“As a competitor I want to win everything.”
Sue Enquist, the retired UCLA softball coaching legend who now does team building work with USA Volleyball, said Larson shares the same characteristics of other “generational athletes,” including “an unwavering need for improvement that’s rooted in curiosity.”
“They’re driven by getting more answers and they equate more answers with better preparation and having more options and equipping them to make the moment,” said Enquist. “That’s what iconic athletes do in my experience. They are laser-focused on preparing for moments. Because of that they can have great stamina. Is Jordan Larson a hard worker? Yes. Does she know how to have next-play mindset? Yes. Is she a good teammate? Yes. She’s all of those things. But I think the separators have to do with this unwavering curiosity and this low-burn tension of needing to seek out more. She sits in mastery. She’s very comfortable in knowing she’s never arrived. And when you’re comfortable in your own skin that you’re on a journey of discovery, then bearing the weight of results doesn’t suffocate you.
“You have to protect that stamina because it’s such a high intensity sport. She has such discipline around taking care of her body and creating lifestyle that lends to longevity.”
A mind-over-matter approach is vital for someone still at it when her peer group’s retired.
“It’s interesting this power of will and determination,” Larson said. “I know what we do in our gym is hard at any age. For me, it’s knowing that being in the gym every day brings out the best in me. It’s leaning into this and willing myself do things I don’t want to do some days. That’s what makes it more beautiful on the other end.
“Everything can’t stay the same because you’re evolving, the game’s evolving, people around you are evolving,” Larson said. “We’re getting more technology as far as jump counts and player load and all these things. There’s just more to know. I feel like if I were to stay the same that would not be a good thing.”
Leading by example
“I’ve been definitely more lead-by-example for the majority of my career,’” Larson said. “We have a leadership council. It’s something we constantly have to evolve because our offseason is technically when we’re overseas. Girls are trying to play and focus and do all these things, and so it’s constant communication of how we can be and adapt better. It’s continually asking those questions, what are we doing, how are we doing it, and what can we do to get better.”
She attributes her leadership development to USA coach Karch Kiraly, veteran USA and collegiate coach Hugh McCutcheon, Cook and Enquist.
“I’m surrounded by high-level, high functioning people that want to be the best at what they do. When you’re around it so much you start speaking that language because it’s what you hear every day.”
Player engagement and team building never end.
“One of the things I’ve learned the most is building relationships with teammates outside the court,” Larson said. “As much as I want to hold them accountable they’re not going to listen to me if I don’t have a rapport or hang out with them. So I’ve really tried to gain a better understanding of what each teammate needs, how they function as a person.
“Learning how to be a catch-all and then trying to figure out how to be the best version for them helps me understand how to help them in the heat of battle.”
Now that she’s at the back end of her career, she’s also mature and confident enough to be transparent.
“I’ve learned the older I’ve gotten that toughness is always going to be there. But on days when I’m feeling really rough and I’m vulnerable enough to vocalize it, that’s when teammates can show up for you. Allowing that to happen is OK. It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s actually more a sign of strength and trust.”
Getting right for the Olympics
The USA qualified for Paris Olympics last September on the heels of a tough summer when the Americans lost to Poland in the Volleyball Nations League bronze-medal match. Larson did not play in VNL but in the Olympics-qualifying tournament the USA lost to Poland again. In the USA victory over Germany that clinched an Olympic berth, Larson had 11 kills, a team-high three aces and three blocks. She also led the team in successful receptions with five and had 16 digs.
“At least for me, losing to Poland was unacceptable. Losing in four, not ideal. We’ve had some time to reflect. All right, what do we need to all do better? We’ve talked about upping the rigor and having a rigorous mindset. What are we doing on our off days? Are we just laying on the couch or are we doing active recovery? Really being intentional with that. Keep asking questions about ourselves and the team — I think everybody tried to apply that this season.
“I hope when we come back everybody’s just champing at the bit. We have a lot of girls playing really high level volleyball right now, which is cool to see. I have full confidence we’re going to be more than prepared. The team looks different than last quad, which is to be expected. But I think we’re really working hard on creating our own identity.
“We won a gold medal. OK, well, now what? Are we just going to rest in that? Is that enough for us? I think the answer is no. But what is it going to take now to come out on top again because people are not going to sleep on us, not that they were, but now they’re like, we’re going to make sure they don’t win.”
Never say never
Larson is pragmatic enough to project that Paris will be the capstone of her international career, but still ambitious enough not to commit one way or the other.
“I think this will be it. But I also know I thought the last one was going to be it. I’m hesitant on knowing for sure. More than likely the high possibility is that this is it. But I also know I don’t want to close a door if I don’t necessarily have to.”
Friends suggested she deflect speculation by holding an “annual” retirement party. Until the end finally does come, she said, “I try not to take a day for granted.”
