By Chantal Guerrero
When describing Berry College volleyball libero Katie Truluck, no matter who is speaking, the adjective relentless is sure to come up early and often. She’s relentless in her studies. Relentless in pursuing goals. Relentless on the volleyball court. Relentless in fighting for her team’s success. Relentless in her devotion to the sport.
Watching Truluck, who has been nicknamed “Lucky” by her teammates, is to see a 5-foot-7 firefly dart around the court, sacrificing her body even if there is only a remote chance of keeping the ball in play. She twists, dives, bends and hurls herself into the stands to dig out the ball and prevent points against.
That she is second in the conference for digs and ball sets comes as no surprise.
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Libero Katie Truluck is the “vocal and energetic”
quarterback of the women’s volleyball team.
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“Katie has the personality of a libero: She’s vocal and energetic,” head volleyball coach Mika Robinson said. “She has positive energy and competitive intensity, which can be unusual in a player.”
Truluck credits Robinson and Berry for aiding her in the development of her trademark relentlessness, especially the confidence her coach has nurtured.
In return, Truluck said she has learned that loving her team and encouraging others actually enables her to be better herself.
“There is no way you can be a selfish player in this sport,” Truluck said. “I have to play well for my teammates so I don’t let them down.”
Teammate Emily Stromberg said she admires Truluck’s ability to bring passion, energy and drive to the team.
“As our libero, she is the rock for our defense and really for just the entire team,” said Stromberg, the teams’ All-American hitter up front.
Initiation
It has not always been volleyball for Truluck. The game, in a sense, found her.
At the age of 4, Truluck started playing soccer. Then, in the 5th grade, Truluck’s mother became an assistant coach for her middle school volleyball team.
“I didn’t even know it was a sport,” Truluck said of volleyball. “I was so bad (at tryouts), but they felt sorry for me, so they put me on the JV team.”
Since then, it’s been volleyball all the way.
In high school, Truluck played club volleyball for Orlando Volleyball Academy, an experience marred by what she called “cutthroat competitiveness.”
“We were No. 1 in the nation for the four years that I was there, and there was so much competition,” she said. “I always felt pressure that there was someone behind me trying to take my position. I couldn’t really relax.”
What’s next?
Next summer, Truluck will be going to Brazil with an all-star team of Division III players, the same team coached by Robinson in 2015.
Longer term, Truluck said she hopes to work with athletes as a physical therapist.
In therapy, “you are with the athlete when they get injured, when they’re getting repaired, in the recovery process, and until they are back on the field,” she said. “I want to get them back to doing what they love.”
But she said she hopes to still make time for volleyball after college, perhaps in an adult volleyball league. “Lucky” isn’t ready to say goodbye to volleyball just yet.