By Logan Cameron, OVC Campus Correspondent
As one reflects on Kristen Torre’s life up to this point, a recurring pattern can be noticed: Everything surrounding her turns to gold.
Whether it be her recent participation in Croatia’s Golden Challenge as a member of the USA professional development team, Bring It Promotions, or her daily display of a golden heart to those around her, Torre has the keen ability to shine and impress in amplified ways. Now, the Cougars’ former middle blocker has a new golden opportunity: playing professional volleyball. This month, Torre signed a one-year contract to join ProWin Volleys, a third-league professional volleyball program based in Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany.
Torre’s volleyball career started at a very young age – essentially, as soon as she was old enough to pick up a ball. Born and raised in the nearby small town of Highland, Ill., Torre is part of a five-sibling family, including a twin sister, Kathryn, who also currently plays collegiate volleyball at the University of Western Florida.
Athleticism is in the Torres’ blood – her mother, Arlene, played collegiate volleyball and basketball at St. Louis University. But not to be confused: It wasn’t pure natural ability that allowed Torre to excel at the sport. Through relentless grit and unwavering hard work, she has been awarded the opportunity to leave her home city of nearly 10,000 residents and move to Saarbrücken, a city with more than 178,000 residents.
“It will definitely be different,” Torre said. “I’ve stayed in small towns my whole life. Edwardsville is a big town, but it’s not a huge city. So it’s definitely going to be an eye-opening experience. But I’m ready for the challenge, and I’m excited to go see other parts of the world that I probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”
Torre compiled an astounding athletic career in her time, as well as establishing herself as a significant force to be reckoned with in the classroom.
Providing longevity to her commitment toward personal, athletic and professional enhancement, Torre continues to impress coaches at all levels of play with her incredibly hard work and motivation to better herself through practice.
Torre will have ample opportunity to prove herself as a threat to the league as a member of ProWin Volleys, with her typical week now including multiple strength and conditioning workouts, three days of practice per week, and games on most weekends. Her seasons will now also be twice as long as a collegiate volleyball schedule, with ProWin Volleys’ season spanning nearly eight months.
“I think Kristen will be an immediate difference-maker with her speed, power and size,” said Leah Johnson, head coach of the SIUE Cougars volleyball team.
Utilizing her 6-foot-2 frame and towering wingspan, she will certainly be an impactful presence above the net for ProWin Volleys.
“We are very happy that Kristen decided to play for us,” said Philip Gray, managing director of ProWin Volleys.
Upon arrival in Germany, Torre will be bombarded with the necessity to make many adjustments – including in her style of play.
“In international play, the rules and regulations differ slightly from the U.S.,” she said. “The volleyballs used are even a different size and weight. At SIUE, we ran a really fast offense; but over there, there are a lot of high balls and hits to different spots. I will need to learn and adapt.”
Torre will also endure the many lifestyle changes that come with professionally competing in a foreign country, but she looks forward to traveling and seeing the many wonders of Europe.
“I’m eager to see a whole different part of the world, learning about various cultures and what makes cities and places special,” she said. “I want to dig into the cultures while I’m there and learn more about them, so I can feel as though I’m a part of that area too.”
Torre also expects that, no matter which direction her profession takes her, her experiences as an athlete and as an educator will continue to complement one another.
“I think my background in education helps me better communicate with people,” she said. “In explaining things, everyone learns in different ways – they all have different learning styles. It’s the same way on the court. Some people respond better when you say certain things, and some respond better to different actions. That knowledge I gained from my program has also helped me on the court in bettering those around me.
Torre said, no matter if she plays or teaches, she’s going to have many opportunities in Germany that she can share with others through playing, coaching or teaching.
In review of her time at SIUE, Torre said she loved being a part of something bigger than herself.
“It was an amazing experience to play for SIUE Volleyball. I loved every minute of it.”
Watch out, Germany. Kristen Torre isn’t coming for you – you’ll have to chase Kristen Torre! As stated by Coach Johnson, “I think when she gets over there, she’s going to pick it up and her leagues are going to keep improving at the level she plays.”
Keep close watch on her budding career. Who knows? Maybe four years from now she’ll be turning the page to a new career chapter and cashing in more gold at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Torre’s athletic accomplishments during her time at SIUE include:
• Setting a school record in 2015 for hitting percentage in a single season (.375)
• Second player in SIUE history to be named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference team (2014)
• Leading the Cougars in the program’s first-ever OVC postseason tournament appearance, advancing the team to the 2013 OVC Championship match
SIUE Leaderboard Rankings
• Hitting Percentage: 2nd all-time (.315)
• Solo Blocks: 4th all-time (68)
• Kills: 5th all-time (1,256)
• Points: 5th all-time (1,540)
• Sets Played: 6th all-time (443)
• Attack Attempts: 7th all-time (2,945)
• Block Assists: 7th all-time (268)
• Total Blocks: 8th all-time (336)
• Points per Set: 9th all-time (3.48)
• Kills per Set: 10th all-time (2.84)
Logan Cameron is a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration.