A Redlands Connection is a concoction of sports memories emanating from a city that once numbered less than 20,000 people. From pro football’s Super Bowl to baseball’s World Series, from dynamic soccer’s World Cup to golf’s and tennis’ U.S. Open, major auto racing, plus NCAA Final Four connections, Tour de France cycling, more major tennis like Wimbledon, tiny connections to that NBA and a little NHL, major college football, Kentucky Derby, aquatics and Olympic Games, that sparkling little city sits around halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs on Interstate 10. One Redlands-based volleyball legend took off northbound. – Obrey Brown
I could hear whispers in the stands at Redlands East Valley High, circa 2007. “She’s only on the team,” said one volleyball-players’ mom to another, “because her mom’s the coach.”
That was enough evidence for me. I glanced down that roster. Saw there was actually a Vansant, jersey No. 16. Freshman. Sure enough, Tricia Vansant was REV’s coach. Her daughter? Krista!
Pushy parents are curious. Here’s one mom that pushed her daughter right onto REV’s varsity – as a freshman. It takes something special to make varsity as a freshman. Right?
REV had a squared-away squad. Victoria Brummett, a college-bound Univ. Colorado-Boulder junior was playing middle. At setter was sophomore Johnna Fouch with libero Kyla Oropeza racking up plenty of key play, both players eventually winding up at Univ. San Diego.
“Two Story Tori” – Brummett’s nickname – would eventually transfer back to NCAA Division 2 powerhouse Cal State San Bernardino and win All-American honors.
Then there was that little REV freshman, Krista. Little? She was listed at 6-feet, 2-inches. Talk about a “loaded” team.
COLLEGIATE POWERHOUSE IN SEATTLE
Krista Vansant probably wasn’t kidding when she spoke about hopes of winning a national volleyball championship for the University of Washington. She’s that competitive. There was a breathtaking come-from-behind win over Pac-12 rival USC in the 2014 NCAA Division I Western Region championship.
One match later, Washington landed in an NCAA semifinals against second-ranked Penn State. Jim McLaughlin, coaching those Lady Huskies, eventually became an AVCA Hall of Famer.
REV’s onetime superstar, an outside hitter had risen from the Gatorade National Prep Player of the Year in 2010 to American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Player of the Year in 2013.
It was quite a run – for Vansant, her team and coaches, family and friends, plus all those that followed her exploits – in a season full of remarkable achievements. After that rival match triumph against USC, though, she was full of hope.
She spoke about not being satisfied, setting goals, never reaching the Final Four despite great teams, winning a national title. For athletes like Vansant, nothing short of winning is ever enough.
Said Vansant: “So I think we’re not being complacent. We’re in the gym working hard every day to get better.”
(Speaking of working hard. During her REV days, Vansant might’ve been among two or three volleyball players working in the weight room – alongside that school’s high-achieving, boys-only football team.)
When third-ranked University of Washington took on No. 2 Penn State at NCAA Division 1 semifinals on a December night just before Christmas, Vansant was her side’s logical force.
Vansant, that season’s Pac-12 Player of the Year, would likely be a factor in lifting the Huskies to a national title game two nights later. But Penn State swept Washington’s women in three sets.
One match earlier, top-ranked Texas, defending NCAA champion, was knocked off by No. 16 Wisconsin – a huge outcome. In an all-Big Ten showdown, Penn State later knocked off Wisconsin for that season’s NCAA title.
Against Penn State, Vansant looked tall, lithe and athletic, totally ready to fire. Penn State, winners in seven titles since 1999, was no stranger to national championship, taking her out of the flow, its attack dwarfing Washington in that semi finals matchup.
That Washington triumph over USC became its ultimate triumph.
Vansant’s efforts were key – 38 kills and 30 digs – the first-ever 30-30 performance for a Husky in their NCAA tournament’s long history. Her 38 kills notched a Washington record, beating Stevie Mussie’s 35 kills against BYU in 2007.
Washington, trailing USC by two sets in that NCAA Western Regional finals, likely stunned a national TV audience. Completing a comeback that included saving two match points knocked off those sixth-ranked Lady Trojans in five sets, 26-28, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 17-15.
I watched closely on TV. You couldn’t miss that REV product. Vansant was spotted breaking into tears on that court after an emotionally-draining marathon.
Vansant eventually joined eventual Team USA Olympian Courtney Thompson, a previous Washington star, as the only Honda Award winners in program history.
Finalists that season included Texas’ Haley Eckerman, Nebraska’s Kelsey Robinson and Stanford’s Carly Wopat. For good measure, Vansant was also espnW Player of the Year.
Incidentally, Vansant was a two-time Honda Award winner. It’s an award as USA’s top female collegiate player.
It’s hard to keep all those awards straight.
CAPPING HER PREP CAREER
Back at high school. Vansant was a monster – part of a stacked REV lineup that won three CIF titles (2007-2009), winning CIF Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, junior and senior from 2008-2010 – her Lady Wildcats’ squad winning all 59 Citrus Belt League matches with her mother, Tricia, as coach.
In December. 2010, Vansant, who was REV’s Homecoming Queen, was later named national Gatorade Player of the Year just after completing her senior season at REV.
Repeat, National Player of the Year. Not State, but National.
She was in my wife’s English class at REV. If I quoted Laura Brown properly, there’d be comments on her student level – classy and responsible, humble and honest, forthright and work-conscious.
Let’s not forget that it was in English class – not on a volleyball floor.
It was for that reason Mrs. Brown convinced Mr. Brown to drive all the way to Redondo Beach to watch REV play in a Division 1 playoff match. In a rarity, REV lost that Division 1 showdown to Redondo Union.
It was Vansant’s final prep match. She was a senior.
REV’s end was just Vansant’s beginning. She became the first-ever Lady Husky to win that AVCA Player-of-the-Year honor. On hand to present the award was none other than multi-Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh-Jennings.
Comments were typical Krista:
“I did not prepare a speech, I just want to thank my friends and family and all my teammates for everything you guys do for me. You make my life so easy and I love you all so much.
“Love you Mom and Dad (Robert). Thanks to my previous club coaches. I would say my previous high school coaches but those are my parents, so thanks again!”
As for Vansant’s freshman year at REV, there were 38 matches. Thirty-four of them were victories … team-high 367 kills … she could receive a serve (201) … she could serve well (30 aces) … she could play that net (26 blocks).
The Lady Wildcats went through the playoffs without blinking much – Monrovia, San Bernardino Cajon and Wildomar Elsinore, all in 3-game sweeps.
South Torrance went down in four.
In the finals against North Torrance, REV won in five.
So much for being the coach’s daughter! A freshman. Wonder what those other moms thought after their season-opening comments.
VANSANT TOOK OFF EVERYWHERE
Vansant just wasn’t a Lady Wildcat or a Lady Husky. No, in fact, she went on to play top-flight matches overseas.
At a NORCECA Championship in 2015, Vansant aided Team USA to snag a gold medal, playing on her nation’s preliminary round squad. Playing in both 2015 and 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix. Team USA captured gold and silver medals.
She was on Swiss side, Volero Lurich, snagging the Swiss Cup and a Swiss Championship.
On Team USA for a Pan American Cup title in 2015. She was an MVP, that tournament’s best outside hitter — same as REV, same as Washington, same as almost everywhere she’d played.
Trips to play at Bangkok, Toronto, Peru, Morello, even in Omaha, Nebraska, was part of Vansant’s pile-up of gold, or silver, medals.
It seemed like she’d be a perfect player on Team USA’s Olympic team for Brazil. But no. Curious, though. It was China knocking off Serbia for that year’s gold medal. Team USA, which lost to Serbia in a five-game semifinals showdown, won in four over Netherlands to grab a bronze medal.
Wonder what that 2016 Team USA could have done if Vansant was on its floor. It wasn’t until 2020 when America’s women nailed down its first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Down The Road: Stories to come – Vansant came within an eyelash of making Team USA at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics … Her coaching career got underway at Indiana, later at Illinois.
