Christian Green has been part of a rising boys volleyball program at Lathrop High.
He has a chance to help another build from scratch.
The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is excited to be part of a fledgling men’s volleyball team at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College starting next fall. He has signed with the Catholic school located in an unincorporated community in Indiana called Saint Mary-of-the-Woods or St. Mary’s. The SMWC athletics program will begin competing as full members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics next year.
Green had multiple offers from other small schools with more established men’s volleyball programs in the Midwest and East Coast.
“It was a risk I was willing to take because there will be a lot of players like me coming from different places and the program is so new that not everyone has a relationship together,” Green said. “We have to build from the ground up and form bonds. Nobody knows each other, so it will be a different type of bond, as opposed to established programs where there may already be cliques within the team.”
SMWC discovered Green through the Next College Student Athlete recruiting service. Ian Harris is the inaugural head coach of the team, and his wife Ashley leads the Pomeroys’ women’s team.
“I really took the time to look into the school and the coaches, to see if they had my major and if it would be a good fit,” Green said. “I was always willing to go out of state and step out of my comfort zone. Not everyone wants to leave California because it’s a great place, but I think it’s cool to venture out once in a while.”
Green plans to major in business management. He got to visit the campus — and several others in the Midwest and East Coast — two months ago, but SMWC stood out the most. He was drawn by the small, private-school environment.
“I can see myself there for all four years, with or without volleyball,” he said.
Green grew up playing basketball and was on travel teams until volleyball took over. He began to play volleyball in the sixth grade for River Islands Technology Academy, and during his freshman year joined Rage Volleyball Club out of Ripon and never looked back.
He looks forward to playing a full varsity season in his final year at Lathrop. The Spartans went 17-4 the past two seasons, which were each shortened because of the coronavirus pandemic.
