Colorado University Athletics
Volleyball Alumni Spotlight: Elysse Richardson
July 02, 2015 | Volleyball
During the month of July, we will feature a former member of CU's volleyball team who has gone on to play professionally.
Our first feature is Elysse Richardson, a defensive specialist/libero who played for the Buffs from 2010-13.
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Question: What was your fondest memory as a Colorado Buffalo?
Answer: I have two fond memories as a Buffalo. The first was putting on my black and gold jersey for the first time. There are no words to describe how happy and excited I was to be representing such an incredible Division I university after being told I was too short to ever play.
The second was making it to the NCAA tournament my senior year. We fought hard on and off the court for years and to have all of our hard work finally pay off was an incredible sense of accomplishment, as well as pride in both our current team and our alumni.
Q: Which opponent did you enjoy playing against throughout your career? Why?
A: There wasn't specifically one team. I loved playing against the ranked teams, which tended to be most of the teams in our conference. It was fun to see how far our team had come from the year before or even the last match, and to see that we could compete with anyone out there.
Q: In what ways did the CU Volleyball program prepare you for your professional career?
A: Discipline and hard work. Nothing was given to me at CU. I had to fight everyday to earn my spot on the court. Whether it was on the court, in the weight room, or in the classroom, I was pushed to give more than I thought I could, which ended up taking me further than I thought was possible.
Q: Have you had a chance to play with a former Buff or a former conference opponent while playing overseas?
A: Fortunately I was able to go tryout in Slovenia with my teammate, Emily Alexis. While in Slovenia we were able to meet many incredible players and make many new friends, including a former UCLA Bruin, Sara Sage. Having them there definitely made my transition much easier and more exciting.
Q: What was your experience like as a professional player?
A: Just like the transition from high school to college, the switch from college to pro was nothing like I expected. A lot more of the recovery, technical training, and conditioning resided on my own shoulders. I was expected to show up and perform, despite not understanding what the coaches wanted or were saying (the timeouts were always in Czech). The strategy was very different from what I was used to back in the US.
It was also weird having my sole focus on volleyball, rather than trying to balance both school and sports. It gave me a lot more free time to explore different places, read books I was interested in, discover new hobbies, etc.
Q: What team(s) did you play for?
A: I played for SK UP Olomouc and TJ Sokol Sternberk in the Czech Republic. They are both part of the same club, with Olomouc being the older team and Sternberk being the younger. I really enjoyed playing for the Sternberk coach team because I learned a lot, but I loved the girls from both teams so it's hard to pick a favorite.
Q: What was it like living in a different country?
A: Living in a different country was very different from simply visiting a country, but living in the Czech Republic was on a whole other level. Normal everyday routines that I hardly ever thought about in the US, became daily challenges. For example, going to the grocery store was a day long adventure. I had to google translate my list because nothing was written in English then walk about 25 minutes to the store. Once I was there I had to weigh and mark all of my produce, sift through tons of bread and yogurt brands that I didn't recognize, then figure out anything else I may want to try. When I'd finally go to pay, I had to prepare myself for any possible questions they may ask me in Czech while also trying to load up all of my groceries in my duffel as fast as possible because everyone was in a rush. Even going to a restaurant was a difficult experience! Sometimes you just sat yourself (no host), other times you were expected to wait. If you were lucky the waiters spoke English; if not you would pick out something based on the few words you knew. (I have some pretty great stories based off of these sorts of experiences.)
All in all though, I loved all the challenges of learning the language and culture. Once you get to know them, the Czech are incredible people who will do whatever they can to help you. I would highly recommend young people go and travel, whether through sports or just on your own. I learned more about myself in eight months than I had ever learned in my four years of college. There's just so much to see and experience!
Q: What is some advice you wish you were given prior to playing overseas?
A: I wish I had been told how cold it gets in Europe during the winter! I definitely did not pack appropriately for the climate there. I was naively optimistic in the length of their summer.
As far as volleyball advice, I wish I had been told that you need to be much more aware of your own recovery. I was always used to pushing myself farther than I should and having my trainers or coaches tell me to stop. It would also have been nice to know that I would have a lot more downtime than I was ever used to. I wasn't mentally prepared to have so much time to myself, after having every 20 minutes planned out for me in college.
Q: Are you still an active member in the volleyball community? If so, in what ways?
A: Yes I am! I love the volleyball community in Colorado. I play as much indoor, grass, and beach volleyball as I can. Co-ed, Women's, doubles/4s/6s, whatever and whenever I can! The community here is incredible. I've made some lifelong friends as well as having a great time! I also give private lessons and coach at local universities/colleges.
