Downers Grove Native Leads URI on the Volleyball Court

Kingston, RI – Like several players who came before her, Britta Baarstad has successfully made the transition from being an All-State volleyball player at Downers Grove North High to playing a major role on a Division I college team.

Following a phenomenal freshman season in which she led the University of Rhode Island in kills per set and was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week twice, Baarstad is completing a tremendous sophomore campaign.

With a couple of weeks remaining in the season, Baarstad is second on the team in kills (272) and kills per set (2.99), and first in aces (23). She’s one of only three players to play in every match and she’s posted three double-doubles so far (in kills and digs).

“Britta entered the season in great shape,” said URI head coach Bob Schneck. “She has the ability to be one of the best outside hitters in the Atlantic 10 Conference.”

While he hasn’t had a chance to see Baarstad play for URI, Downers Grove North head coach Mark Wasik is very pleased to hear about his former player’s success.

“I guess, to a degree, I’m pleasantly surprised at how well Britta has done,” said Wasik. “You never know how someone will transition, both physically and emotionally, from high school to college ball. But as I told the coaches who recruited her, Britta had great potential. It’s nice to see that she’s living up to that potential.”

Not only was the level of play something that Baarstad had to quickly adjust to, but so was living in New England. It was a change of scenery that she embraced.

“My parents always told me that college is a place where I can experience something completely new and different,” recalled Baarstad. “So in an effort to experience new things, I made it a goal to go to a school outside of the Midwest. I was drawn to the east coast, but I was primarily looking at schools in the Carolinas and Maryland. Then URI contacted me and living near Boston, New York City and the beach seemed like a great idea.” 

The connection between Baarstad and the URI volleyball program occurred relatively late in the recruiting process.

“I received a letter from URI toward the end of my junior year and almost forgot about it,” explained Baarstad. “Then in the middle of my senior year, I was looking through emails and came across one from URI. I decided to contact them. Things moved very fast after that.”

When Baarstad went on her official visit to URI, she fell in love with the school.

“URI was at the top of my list for schools, and luckily I was at the top of URI’s recruitment list as well,” stated the volleyball player. “I loved the school itself – the campus, the students, and the volleyball program seemed like a great fit for me.”

Schneck recalled being impressed with Baarstad as a high school/club player.

“We saw Britta play in several tournaments,” said Schneck. “I knew Britta had what it took to be able to start right away in our program at URI.”

Schneck may have been confident in Baarstad’s abilities, but the 5’10” outside hitter was caught a little off-guard to crack the starting lineup as a rookie.

“To be honest, I was very surprised when coach announced the lineup the first game and my number was on it,” admitted Baarstad. “I was extremely excited and probably let my excitement and butterflies get to me a bit too much in the first few points of my first college match.”

As in high school, Baarstad found instant success on offense. Becoming a well-rounded player has been the real challenge.

“One of my goals this season was to continue to be a force offensively, while also becoming a force on the defensive side of the game,” said Baarstad. “During the off-season, defense was a skill that I focused on a lot.”

The sophomore has focused just as much, if not more, on her studies. In high school, she was named All-Academic in her junior and senior years.

“My family’s rule when it came to grades was always that A’s and B’s were the only grades accepted,” explained Baarstad. “I have carried this motto into my college academic career and have been able to maintain a high GPA thus far. Volleyball takes up a lot of my time, so I have to be disciplined to stay on top of my school work.”

Wasik isn’t surprised that Baarstad has been able to excel in the classroom, despite the time commitment that collegiate athletics require.

“I knew Britta had the drive and heart to commit to the rigors of playing D1 volleyball,” said the coach.

During the summer, Baarstad assisted Wasik at the volleyball camp he runs.

“It was great to have her come back and work our summer camp and interact with both the high school and elementary school girls,” said Wasik. “I repeatedly told the campers after she would demonstrate a specific skill, ‘now that’s a D1 volleyball player.’ She is a great role-model for our current players.”