To call yourself Rich Nelson is more complicated than it
seems.
He’s inclined to be an outgoing, energetic guy, funny and
sarcastic off the court. Outside of practice and competitions, the
starting setter and senior volleyball captain is even capable of
provoking rounds of verbal sparring between team members, always
with a good sense of humor.
At home, if there ever is an opportunity to pick up the phone
and impersonate his roommate, quick hitter Scott Morrow, Nelson
seizes it.
They probably both would, if a member of the media happened to
call.
“We’d just make ourselves out to be the biggest
nerds out there,” Nelson said. “I’d pretend to be
Scott and say that “¦ I don’t know, I just read all day.
Something entirely nerdy.”
He later confessed the truth.
“We really are nerds,” Nelson said.
Maybe he doesn’t entirely fit the stereotype of scrawny
book nerd. An art major, Nelson can sometimes spend all night
focused on drawing or painting, working on the details of his
artwork.
But?
“I don’t think I’m what you’d call an
artsy kind of person,” Nelson said. “Art is just
something else I put everything into. It’s like another
sport. I make it my life.”
The competition on the volleyball courts similarly shows
Nelson’s total concentration on the game.
“I’m very focused when it comes to volleyball. When
I was chosen as captain, I just thought of winning a national
championship no matter what,” he said. “I take my
responsibility as a leader very seriously, and when we play, every
point is important.”
This season is Nelson’s fourth year playing on the team,
and his freshman year was the last time the Bruins secured a
national championship. Since Nelson wasn’t starting that
season, he vows to once again reclaim the NCAA title.
After last week’s loss to UC Irvine, Nelson sat down with
his teammates and addressed his intentions to win the
championship.
“We had to stop making little mistakes, and just give a
little more in practice. All the guys knew I was being serious
about this, and they knew that we could do it,” he said.
Through unspoken agreements, his speech motivated his teammates
to start coming earlier to practice and pushing their limits.
Head coach Al Scates, too, recognizes the leadership qualities
that Nelson provides.
“He’s incredibly positive, and he has a good work
ethic,” Scates said. “He’s got a lot of
responsibility on his shoulders as this year’s
captain.”
Nelson’s teammates also see him as an inspiration.
Generally perceived as the quieter of the two roommates, Morrow
becomes equally as outgoing and competitive around Nelson.
“He’s one of my best friends, and as a teammate I
couldn’t ask for more,” Morrow said. “We both
strive to be the best. We have a great relationship.”
Under Nelson, the team is tight-knit to the point where they
inadvertently compete at ping pong and board games. Nelson
doesn’t take any competition lightly.
“The feeling of winning is in its own level ““ I
can’t explain it,” Nelson said. “The thought of
putting on the national championship ring inspires me so
much.”
Suffice to say, Nelson is a complicated individual who is at
times intensely driven and at other times makes “an ass out
of (himself)” in front of the guys.
“I’m just a big kid at heart,” he
confessed.