Going Home
September 15, 2014 | Volleyball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina head volleyball coach Julie Torbett will return to her roots as she takes the Pirates to State College, Pa., to go up against her alma mater, Defending National Champion Penn State, at the Penn State Alumni Classic Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20. For Torbett, the tournament isn't just a chance to play a nationally ranked opponent as the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 3, but it is a chance to return home to where she got her start on the court.
Torbett grew up in the small town of Russell in the western part of Pennsylvania where she began attending Penn State volleyball camps under head coach Russ Rose when she was about 12 years old. From that point on, she was immersed in the sport and wanted nothing more than to play at the collegiate level under Rose.
"I've known him about 35 years," Torbett said of her relationship with Rose. "He's like a second father to me. He's been my mentor. I've discussed every job change, frustrations during the season, or anything with him. He's the first person I call. He's had great advice for me over the years and he's arguably one of the best volleyball coaches in the world. To be able to call him any time day or night and get a response back within a day is just invaluable to me."
After graduating from Eisenhower High School in 1986, Torbett got her chance to be a student-athlete at Penn State as Rose saw her defensive skills and utilized her as a defensive specialist. In those days, many schools around the country had a height requirement for their collegiate volleyball players, which limited Torbett's options. However, Rose was ahead of his time in many ways and was one of the first coaches in the nation to develop defensive specialists.
"[Rose] used back row specialists and was a very defensive coach," Torbett explained. "That allowed me to utilize my strength and speed as a back court player and play at that level."
The relationship Torbett developed with Rose and with her alma mater is clearly special to her as a smile appears on her face at the mention of Penn State and her playing days. She is filled with many memories and enjoys watching her current players build fond memories on the court as she did years ago.
"I have so many memories and funny stories [from those days]," Torbett said with a smile. "Probably my most memorable experience was my senior night. Hearing the announcer say, `One of the best defensive specialists in the country' was amazing. It took me a whole senior year to realize that I was one of the best in the country.
"I went to a very small high school where most people didn't think I could play at Penn State," Torbett added. "They were a top-20 program at the time and I was short. With the height requirement around the country, a lot of people didn't think I would make it."
Taking East Carolina, in her second year at the helm, to go up against her alma mater and her former coach is an exciting opportunity for Torbett. She has brought several of her former teams to State College, Pa., before, but this will be a first with ECU.
"It's an honor to go back to Penn State," Torbett said. "It's an honor to play the defending National Champions. That fact that my former coach is still there, just being back in the gym where I played so many matches and being back on campus will be very special to me."
Torbett isn't the only one excited about the opportunity to play the reigning National Champions. The chance to play a nationally ranked, perennial powerhouse, such as Penn State, is something that stands out to many of the Pirates.
"It will be special for the girls at ECU," Torbett stated. "It's something they'll remember forever. So that's pretty cool. A couple of the players have mentioned to me that it's a once in their career experience. It's something they're really excited for. I think it'll be a nice bonding experience for our team. They're going to have a barbeque for all the teams, so the girls will get a chance to spend some time around some of the best players in the game and get to know them a little bit."
The tournament will consist of five teams in Eastern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago (UIC) and DePaul in addition to East Carolina and Penn State. Each head coach is an alumni and former player at Penn State and will be taking part in the inaugural Penn State Alumni Classic.
"This is the first one, maybe they'll have future Alumni Classics," Torbett said. "My former coach has been there for 35 years, so it's definitely something I wanted to take advantage of before he decides to retire."
With 20-plus years of coaching experience, Torbett has established herself as a successful Division I volleyball coach. She has amassed more than 350 victories, is a two-time Coach-of-the-Year and has piloted three different teams to Big South Regular-Season Champion honors. She attributes many of her accomplishments on the court to what she learned as a student-athlete under Rose.
"Penn State has a blue collar work ethic," Torbett explained. "I think East Carolina mirrors that in a lot of ways. We just get the job done. I definitely adapted that from [Coach Rose].
"Being competitive in everything we do, not just on the court, but in the classroom as well," Torbett continued. "[Coach Rose] always recognized academics first so I learned from him how to balance being a student and an athlete.
"The three big things that I got from him are: competitiveness, work ethic and loyalty," Torbett added.
