FORT COLLINS — There wasn’t a single red flag, and that made it simple.
Bringing in a one-and-done player can be tricky, but Tom Hilbert wasn’t worried in the least when Alex Reid wanted to transfer to Colorado State, because he knew her background. He watched her play volleyball at Grandview High School (Aurora) and had recruited her at the time, as did assistant coach Brook Coulter while she was at Georgia. Neither one of them landed Reid, who instead signed with Long Beach State, but there was no hesitation on their part to have her join the Rams, even if just for one season.
All spring workouts did was validate what Hilbert believed Reid would bring to the program, even if just for a short time.
“We know that she is mature, and we know that she comes in and becomes a leader immediately,” Hilbert said. “And that’s exactly what she’s done.”
Hilbert wanted her to be more than just another player on the team, pushing her to adopt a leadership role. Having that backing still doesn’t eliminate the transition period, which Reid found went much smoother than she could have hoped.
“I took it like a challenge, because being a leader of a team you’ve known for three years is a little bit easier than being a leader of a team that you don’t really know,” Reid said. “You have to get to know all the players and what makes them tick and what makes them play well. That part is a little bit hard, but because everybody was so inviting with me, it made it easier to get to know them.”
The key for Hilbert was she went about it the right way.
The fact she works as hard as she can at everything she does — a trait which stems back to her first club years when she said she wasn’t very good and pushed herself to catch up — cemented the credibility she needed to fill the required leadership role.
“This is an important thing. You’re not a leader unless people like and trust you,” Hilbert said. “Leadership is not just about commanding respect or being a great player, it’s more about trust and giving. Those are the things that Alex Reid brings immediately.
“It was very impressive, because she knew it from the beginning walking in. That’s what she was at Long Beach State.”
Naturally, Reid fretted a bit over those first couple of weeks with the team, but never felt like “the new kid.” It wasn’t long before her new teammates were raving about what she brought to the table. She was always positive, be it during strength training or practices. She was encouraging and helpful all at once.
There were team dinners and team gatherings. As Reid put it, she felt instantly part of their “Ram Fam,” and that helped things click on the court. She hasn’t played a single match that counts for the team, but already Reid is being looked at as an immediate, positive impact.
“For me, her just coming in and having such a broad leadership role, she came in immediately and everybody respected her,” sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Hanna said. “She’s an awesome player, but she fits in personality-wise, she fits in so great with the team. She has a leadership personality, and everybody right off the bat would follow her and listen to her.”
Reid needed a change, and returning home is what felt right to her, giving her the support system she lacked in California.
She has seen her family more often, and her mom has already bought season tickets. More importantly, she feels her personality fits at Colorado State, giving her an extended family.
“I was telling my mom, every day I wake up, I’m happy,” said Reid, who is pursuing a degree in psychology. “I’m excited to go to school and I’m excited to go to practice. Everything just feels right. Even if not everything is going right, it still feels like it is.”
That won’t be a new feeling on the court for her at Colorado State. She registered 835 kills in three seasons at LBSU, hitting .217. She is a six-rotation player who posted 309 digs last year alone, averaging .51 blocks per set. She also has a sand volleyball background, which translates into the things she can do on the court.
An outside hitter, she can use power, but it’s her brain Hilbert feels will be her most valuable feature for the Rams. She is creative with her shots, and that has started to rub off on some of the younger outside hitters.
Hanna had an impressive season as a true freshman last year, but she’s made it a point to watch and learn from Reid, as well as pick her brain. Hanna said she likes having an older player around as a mentor, and in Reid, she’s seen that having more shots in the arsenal is a definite plus.
“Alex is an extremely smart player,” Hanna said. “She has lot of shots; it’s not just power all the time. She has so many roll shots and trick shots. I’m starting to learn it’s OK to mix it up now and then. It doesn’t have to be power hits all the time. I can add a tip, or a roll shot. It’s kind of finesse, and she’s really, really good at it.”
Reid feels her game is a good mix with what the Rams do. She said the technical aspects and the structure she learned at LBSU helped her grow, but under Hilbert, she said she’ll have the freedom to mix in her playing personality to the formula, as long as it works.
She’s confident it will, and so are her new teammates. As happy as she is now, she’s can’t wait for the chance to play in front of the loud crowds at Moby Arena, even if it is for just one season.
“Everybody supports you, and it’s really exciting to be a part of that and be part of that starting six and representing Colorado State,” she said. “That’s a big thing.
“My time there, it was time up. I needed something that fit my personality as a player better. Colorado State was one of the places I looked at coming out of high school, and I really loved it. I felt coming here would be like the cherry on top for my senior year.”
Mike Brohard: 970-635-3633, mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/mbrohard
