Don’t be fooled by the nonchalant abandon Oregon senior volleyball player Erin Little sometimes displays while warming up. The casual demeanor is a mask that covers up one of Oregon’s most fearsome outside hitters.
“I get nervous every time so I try to look very calm. I am more of an anxious player,” the 6-foot-1-inch Little said. “I am trying to be intense and relaxed and not get tight.”
When she makes a mistake, Little takes a step back and regains her focus – then she proceeds to crush potentially Wilson-deflating kills at opponents.
Portland State and Long Beach State
felt her power this year. The 20-year-old senior posted 16 kills, three blocks and a career-high six aces against the Vikings late last month.
Just days later, she notched 17 kills against the then-17th-ranked 49ers en route to another non-conference victory. Oregon coach Jim Moore described her showing against Long Beach State as an “unbelievable performance.”
Believe it or not, Little’s road to Oregon started out in a place where hockey is king. She was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but grew up in the provincial capital of British Columbia: Victoria.
“Where I grew up it was about the same size as Eugene and a lot like Eugene, very outdoorsy and mild temperatures,”
she said. “So I spent a lot of time outdoors playing soccer and staying active. That is one thing I like here.”
Little was a 2003 British Columbia All-Star and was the 4A Most Valuable Player at Mount Douglas Secondary School.
Her squad earned a first place finish at the 2002-03 Provincial Championships. Little didn’t actually start considering possible schools to play at until late December of her senior year.
“I actually wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Little said.
The only other game tape she sent to a Pacific-10 Conference school was
addressed to Corvallis. It was her high school principal who recommended Oregon because he attended the University to obtain his master’s degree in education.
One of Little’s other inspirations was former teammate Darla Myhre, the eventual middle blocker for the University of Washington who graduated in 2006. Seeing Myhre advance to a recognized Division I program boosted Little’s confidence and drove her to aim higher.
“I played with her so I knew I could probably play somewhere within the top schools. And then I had a good senior year, so I just took the chance,” Little said.
The two would end up playing against each other for three years in the Pac-10.
Through her freshman and sophomore seasons at Oregon, Little played in a total of 128 games as a backup outside hitter on struggling teams headed by former head coach Carl Ferreira. In 2005, Moore arrived and the squad managed a 12-18 record (1-17 Pac-10). Little ranked second on the team in total digs with 235 as a junior, and was third in total blocks with 78. Oregon has since notched its highest win total and winning percentage in 14 seasons.
“I just fill the void for whatever is needed at the time,” Little said.
If Little actually kept track of her statistics – she doesn’t, she says, because, by now, she has a good sense of when she either has or has not done her job – she would note that her kill count rose from 67 in 2003 to 154 (in 98 games) in 2005. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that through 45 games this season, she has nearly eclipsed her kill tally from last year. She has already recorded 141 kills and is averaging 3.13 kills per game. Still, Little would rather talk about team goals.
“Everyone came in with the understanding that it is about winning and having that same goal. You never know what to expect, but I go out with the attitude that we will win every game,” said Little, who surpassed the 300 block mark against Fresno State this season.
In a program that has struggled to clinch conference victories, Little hungers for both individual and team consistency. At 10-2 overall and with two consecutive Pac-10 losses lingering, Oregon seeks its first conference victory Friday at 7 p.m. as they host rival Oregon State.
“She has the opportunity to turn this program around while she is here,” Moore said. “That is huge. She is doing everything she can to make that happen. She has made some adjustments and changes just within herself, which is pretty special.”
Rebuilding a winning team starts with individual improvements and good recruiting, and Oregon was able to snag middle blocker Sonja Newcombe, California’s high school player of the year last year. Little said the two feed off each other’s abilities, regardless of age or experience.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a leader on the team or even on the floor. Sonja and I are equals. She helps me out just as much as I help her out,” said Little, who earned All-Tournament team honors at the Boise State Invitational earlier this month.
“The biggest thing she has done is set the level,” Moore said. “She’s not going to do that verbally all the time and tell people what’s going on. But what she has done is say at times, ‘This is not acceptable, we need to do better.’ She works so hard.”
Little’s days as a student-athlete are numbered, but she said she still wants to at least continue on with her education and maybe do some traveling in Europe after graduating – that would be the same destination where former Oregon volleyball stars Lauren Westendorf and Kelly Russell extended their careers. Little admitted she could be very tempted to play overseas if the circumstances were right.
“I would love to play more. I love the game, and playing for Jim (Moore) has helped me realize how much I enjoy putting the time in,” Little said. “Opportunities
might arise.”
Through the ups and downs, Little said volleyball is a game you continually learn from. From a once intimidated 17-year-old freshman to a 20-year-old team linchpin, so much has changed in and between the win and loss columns, she said.
“I can look back now and realize just how much I’ve learned. It makes me wish I had one or two more years,” Little said.
The storm behind the calm
Daily Emerald
September 27, 2006
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