Standing at merely 5 feet 3 inches, junior libero Tess Sutton is the shortest player on Utah’s volleyball team, as well as the shortest player in the Pac-12. This has not deterred her determination and drive to be the best.
Sutton is playing her third season with Utes out of Bonsall, Calif. and is the most-used libero, having played in all 13 of the team’s matches so far this season. This isn’t Sutton’s first time playing a key role for a team, however. She made Fallbrook High School’s varsity team her freshman year of high school and helped lead the school to a league title in 2011. She was also voted the most valuable and most inspirational player of her team.
“I just had this outlook that to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice your gift,” Sutton said. “So I tried to make my team think of themselves and that if they were not using their gift that there are plenty of people that are wishing they could play in that position.”
Sutton committed to play for Utah after high school and made an impact in her first season as a libero for the Utes. She played sparingly to start out the 2013 season but started the last 15 matches of the season. In this stretch Sutton proved why she was such a highly rated prospect coming out of high school. In those last 15 games, Sutton recorded a total of 179 digs, averaging 3.58 a set. This run included a career-high for Sutton with 23 digs against Arizona State on Nov. 17. She finished the season with a team-high 17 digs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Yale.
The following season, Sutton’s playing time fell behind Lea Adolph. Sutton ended up only recording 96 digs for a total of 1.41 digs per set. But this season, Sutton has taken the role of Utah’s main libero. She is averaging 3.45 digs a set, well past her top season mark of 2.63 she set her freshman year. Head coach Beth Launiere has seen her bring some very important characteristics to the team.
“Tess [Sutton] is a talker,” Launiere said. “She brings energy. I think those two things are really important and she brings them.”
Everyday Sutton is working as much as she can. She doesn’t quit and has a drive that leads her to play hard every play, whether it is in practice or in a game. She knows exactly what motivates her.
“The other girls out there that are better than me,” Sutton said. “There are girls out there in the Pac-12 and many other schools that are better than me, and I just want to work hard to get past them.”
Not only does Sutton work hard for herself, but she works for her team as a whole.
“I try to give as much effort as I can and lead by example,” Sutton said. “If I’m working hard I expect everyone else to work hard. It comes out in your play. If you’re working hard I think the team follows.”
Sutton wants that success for her team and will stand behind her teammates no matter what.
“I try to have my team’s back and always lift them up,” Sutton said. “I try to help them have a good time but at the same time to work really hard.”
Sutton has shown this drive throughout this season and her entire career. She started out as a bench player who only played occasionally, but has worked her way to the starting libero position for Utah.
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