Ex-Hampton standout Anastasia Russ thrives in debut season at Maryland

Former Hampton volleyball star Anastasia Russ has come out of her shell.

After three years at Pitt as an underused backup, Russ transferred to Maryland in January and flourished in her first season with the Terrapins.

The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior center blocker emerged as top-of-the-line defensive gamers within the Massive Ten and ranked within the prime 5 within the nation in blocks.

“That is the primary time I’ve had a significant position on the courtroom, so I used to be form of excited to see what I might do,” Russ mentioned. “It’s positively numerous enjoyable, and I’m positively the place I wish to be.”

Russ loved staff success as Pitt, reaching the Elite Eight and the Last 4 in her ultimate two seasons. However the 2019 Hampton graduate noticed motion in solely 12 units — out of a attainable 126 — throughout the Last 4 season and entered the switch portal.

Russ visited Maryland together with her household and met with Terrapin coach Adam Hughes in late December and enrolled on the Massive Ten college the next month.

“That was form of a house run for us,” Hughes mentioned.

Russ earned a beginning position and helped the Terrapins to a 16-16 season (7-13 in Massive Ten), punctuated by a few memorable wins over top-10 groups.

Russ ranked fifth within the NCAA Division I at 1.54 blocks per set and, together with 6-foot-3 senior Rainelle Jones, powered a Terrapins entrance line that led the nation in blocks (3.33 per set) for the second 12 months in a row.

Russ had six blocks and 7 kills in an Oct. 16 victory at Purdue, the Terrapins’ first street win in opposition to a top-10 opponent since becoming a member of Massive Ten in 2014.

She additionally had 11 blocks, matching her profession excessive, in a 3-1 upset win over No. 5 Ohio State on Nov. 18 at Faculty Park, Md.

“That was most likely top-of-the-line moments of my life,” Russ mentioned. “I’m not going to lie. That was completely insane.”

Russ is among the tallest gamers within the Massive Ten; solely 4 gamers stand taller. However she is aware of blocking is an artwork that requires greater than peak and lengthy limbs. She targeted this season on her eye work, with the ability to higher anticipate the place to place herself and kind a blocking wall.

“That’s one thing that was form of lacking on my sport,” mentioned Russ, who has two extra years of eligibility.

Russ does extra than simply block. She is formidable on offense and ranked within the prime 10 within the Massive Ten in hitting effectivity.

“She’s bought nice imaginative and prescient of what’s in entrance of her,” Hughes mentioned. “She’s a really low-error participant. She hardly ever will get blocked. She hardly ever makes any dangerous selections. She does a superb job of balancing each offense and protection.”

Blocks, nevertheless, are essentially the most electrifying play in volleyball, and that’s what Russ does finest.

“From an vitality issue, for certain,” Hughes mentioned. “And when she does it, she normally blocks a ball earlier than anybody lands. Meaning it’s down very quick.”

Coaches took discover. Russ was named Massive Ten Defensive Participant of the Week twice and earned all-Massive Ten second-team honors Nov. 30 in voting by the league’s coaches.

Not too dangerous for somebody who bought lower from her seventh-grade volleyball staff.

Russ grew to become motivated after the snub and attended a number of volleyball camps and joined a journey staff. She made the Hampton middle-school squad as an eighth-grader and, two years later, she earned the primary of three consecutive all-state honors with Hampton varsity.

“Clearly, I didn’t like getting lower,” she mentioned. “It was not a superb feeling for a seventh grader, however I used that to work tougher.”