Chrissie Zartman stands just 5 feet, 4 inches, but what she has
accomplished since coming to UCLA is nothing short of
remarkable.
A five-time Junior Olympic gold medalist, the sophomore took
first place at the first annual World University Games Beach
Volleyball Championships in June with partner Tracy Lindquist. She
has played in every game of every UCLA match the past two years and
leads the team with 171 digs on the season.
No small achievements for a player who was told by several
coaches that she was too short to play at the collegiate level.
“I feel lucky to be here at UCLA because the coaches have
confidence in me,” said Zartman, a former Volleyball Magazine
All-American at Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance. “I
know I look really small compared to everyone else, but that
doesn’t bother me. I just have to work that much harder to
play with them.”
After playing as a defensive specialist as a freshman, Zartman
has stepped right into a starting role at the newly created libero
position this season. The switch has allowed her to contribute more
to the team because she can remain in the back row permanently.
“It’s just the ideal position for her,” said
Andy Banachowski, head coach of the No. 17 Bruins. “Chrissie
is certainly our best defensive player. She’s quick on her
feet, and knows how to read hitters well. She’s got good
technique, and is willing to sacrifice her body to get the ball up
in the air.”
Zartman can also attribute a percentage of her intuitiveness on
the court to good genetics ““ she is a member of one of the
most decorated volleyball families in California.
Pat Zartman, Chrissie’s father, coached the U.S.
women’s national team in 1974, and trained many of the elite
professional beach volleyball players of the era. He also founded
and coached the South Bay Spoilers, one of the top club volleyball
teams in the nation.
Her mother, Charleen Zartman is a former professional beach
volleyball player, and a member of the 1972 UCLA team that won the
school’s first-ever national championship in volleyball.
“I’ve been around volleyball all my life,”
said Zartman, who would rally with her father over the family sofa
using a balloon when she was just four years old. “My parents
were my coaches growing up, and they taught me everything I
know.”
Remarkably, Banachowski was also coaching in Westwood when
Charleen was a Bruin, and recognizes some similarities between the
two on and off the court.
“Both Chrissie and Charleen have tremendous
quickness,” the Bruin head coach said. “They are
similar in their playing abilities and in their personality. They
like to have fun when they play, and it just shows.”
Through her parents, Zartman had access to a host of other
volleyball influences throughout her childhood, including Olympic
champion Jackie Silva.
“Jackie was always so nice,” said Zartman.
“She was my inspiration. I would go out to the beach and shag
balls for her when I was little, and she would play with me
whenever I wanted. It was really good to have so many people around
to learn from.”
Growing up just seconds from Hermosa Beach, Zartman had ample
opportunities to hone her skills on the sand at a young age. By the
age of 11, she had won her first Junior Olympic title with
Lindquist, who is currently the starting setter for USC, the No. 1
team in the country.
When Zartman was just 13, the duo attained beach
volleyball’s AAA rating, the highest adult amateur standing
in the sport. Zartman is the youngest player ever to earn the
rating.
“The older players would make fun of us at first, and tell
us to go do our homework,” she said. “Some people get
intimidated by younger people, but after a while they realized that
we were out there to have fun and get better. It’s nice to
earn respect from people when it wasn’t there
before.”
One person whose respect she has certainly earned is freshman
Haley Jorgensborg, Zartman’s teammate at UCLA and in the past
with the Spoilers. One of the top prep setters in the nation last
year, Jorgensborg credits Zartman as one of the reasons she decided
to become a Bruin.
“One of the big things about coming to UCLA was that
(Zartman) was there,” said Jorgensborg. “I have never
played with such an amazing player. She keeps our whole team in the
game going corner to corner after every ball.”
While Zartman rarely leaves the comfort of the back row as a
Bruin, Jorgensborg recalls their days playing club volleyball when
she was a fixture in the front.
“She played against these girls who were like 6-foot-2,
and she would just use them and go right through them,”
Jorgensborg said. “All these little girls look up to her
because they see a girl who is 5-foot-4 playing for our
team.”
The little girls can look up to her height. Fortunately, the
rest of us can admire her talent.