Freshman Jack Madrid, an opposite and outsider hitter for the Men’s Club Volleyball team at UCI, has been playing volleyball since 2015. Before starting his volleyball career, Madrid played soccer for eight years, switching back and forth between the two sports in high school.
“I ended up feeling more comfortable with volleyball so, during high school, it felt serious,” Madrid said in an interview with New University.
Madrid’s mom and sister also played volleyball, so the sport wasn’t anything new to him. When asked why he didn’t play volleyball at first, Madrid said he felt like it was more of his sister’s thing. He helped at private volleyball lessons that his mom taught, which gave him a look into volleyball and helped him be more open to playing volleyball.
Once getting into volleyball, Madrid recognized some noticeable differences from soccer. While he used his feet for soccer, it was an uncomfortable adjustment to transition to using his hands for volleyball. Madrid remembers one of the first volleyball teams he was on as a memorable experience. His team hadn’t won a single game all season, and it wasn’t until the last tournament that they got their first victory against a team of kids that were younger than them.
“It just felt awkward on the court [that season] but it’s funny to look back on,” Madrid said.
Another unforgettable moment for Madrid was the 2018 season on the Pulse team.
“It was the most cohesive I’ve ever seen and there was no drama between us. We practiced hard and played hard,” Madrid said.
His team won a silver medal for their performance, and Madrid won an individual medal for being the best-performing player. Reflecting back on that season, Madrid added, “even though I had gotten a second medal, it felt like we all had gotten it and we all deserved it.”
Upon his admittance to UCI, Madrid had a strong passion for volleyball. While he needed time to better his skills in order to play at the collegiate level, he explored other opportunities. He found an old classmate that was trying out for the club team and invited him to try out as well.
Madrid had played outside hitter his entire high school career; however, upon joining the club volleyball team at UCI, the club president asked him if he would be open to trying out playing opposite hitter. Madrid accepted although he mentioned that the transition between the two positions was difficult, especially with trying to master the new footwork techniques. The switch of positions, however, seemed to benefit Madrid’s playing style tremendously.
“It’s like seeing two completely different people,” he said, comparing his play style to that of high school. He mentioned that his hitting and blocking have been the biggest improvements. “It feels like I’m playing smarter now.”
Madrid’s ultimate goal is to try out for the UCI Men’s Volleyball division one team; however, he’s hopeful that if things don’t work out, he will stay with the club team. He also shared what his plans are after college.
“I would like to play at a higher level, but as of right now, no because my skill level isn’t there, but definitely in the future,” Madrid said, adding he wants to improve his passing skills and become quicker on his feet.
In his free time, Madrid also coaches a high school volleyball team.
“When I tell them what they could improve on or what they’re doing well, I feel as if they listen to me so it’s something I’d want to keep doing,” he said.
As Madrid progresses through his college career, he believes that volleyball will always hold a key part in his life.
“I know that I won’t stop playing and volleyball will always be part of my life,” Madrid said.
Madrid hopes that his story will encourage other indecisive players to pursue a career in volleyball because it’s the most rewarding thing he has taken part in during his life.
You can keep up with Madrid’s journey, and the rest of the Men’s Club Volleyball team at UCI as they start up their competitive season in the winter quarter. Their first league tournament will be the Southern California Collegiate Volleyball League MLK Invite on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 in Corona, Calif.
Seattle Barron is a Sports Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at skbarron@uci.edu
