The landscape of women’s sports is rapidly evolving for the better. With increased awareness around mental health and the importance of avoiding burnout, female athletes are adding longevity to their careers and playing in front of larger, more engaged crowds than ever before. This positive shift in sports culture wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the athletes who have chosen to leave a legacy for those who come after them. One such athlete is Jordan Larson, a Nebraska native who lays claim to being one of the greatest volleyball players in US history.
A Glimpse Into the Beginning
From a young age, Jordan knew that she wanted to play volleyball on the world stage of the Olympic games. Both of her parents were former athletes, and they made sure she was exposed to as many sports as possible before she settled on volleyball as her one true passion. Jordan attributes her well-rounded early years in sports as the foundation for helping her sustain her love of volleyball throughout her career, as well as her father’s watchful eye to make sure she did not experience the same sports burnout that plagued his own collegiate football career. “I always wanted to be an Olympian but I just didn’t understand what that meant. I wasn’t ever really exposed to professional volleyball so I just assumed the Olympics were the next step after college. I did know that I was willing to do whatever it took to get to that point, though,” Jordan said.
Fast Forward: A Trail Blazing Career
After helping Team USA bring home their first gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, Jordan thought her playing career may be nearing its end and so, following a brief stint playing in China, she returned to the States and began dabbling in coaching. Until she received a call from her agent with an offer to take on a contract in Italy if she wanted to continue playing: “...so I went and I played in Italy and realized I still loved it…I thought ‘maybe I could go one more and see what happens’ but I wasn’t going to do it unless I could commit fully,” Jordan recalled. And committing fully is exactly what Jordan did, as she went on to help Team USA bring home another silver medal at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. But this time, Jordan held another title on her own as the oldest member of the team’s roster at age 37 (at the time of the Paris games).
Jordan admits she...
“still shocks [herself] every day” when it comes to still being able to play competitively at her current age. “I don’t know how this is still happening, to be honest,” she laughs.
She says the things that have primarily helped her get to this point are the people along her path as well as her mindset and sheer willpower, that “if you have the right mindset, you can do anything.” She also points to strategic contract moves as well as how she spends her free time playing crucial roles in achieving longevity in sports. Physically, Jordan says that allowing herself to have a legitimate offseason to rest is critical for recovery, as well as finding balance with other hobbies including playing golf, traveling, and spending time with the people she loves. She also credits ample time spent strengthening in the weight room as being the reason she’s been able to avoid major injuries throughout her career, along with paying special attention to her nutrition. Ultimately, Jordan says her “deep love for the game” is what keeps her coming back. “It’s always been more than me, it’s ‘how do you leave a legacy of how to help other players?’ The depth and meaning behind why I play has grown so much since I started,” she says.
Embracing the Evolution of Women’s Sports
Throughout Jordan’s long-lived volleyball career, she has been witness to considerable growth in the sport of volleyball as a whole. In terms of opportunities available, she said that more and more players can stay and play in the US instead of relying on international contracts, which allows athletes to avoid burnout by staying close to their families and support systems. Technically, she said that women’s teams are playing more physically and simulating closer to the men’s game, with passing and serving techniques specifically changing considerably over the past 15-20 years. She also points to players themselves finally being “...given a platform to be seen, plus having advocates for female sports in this space. Now, people are paying more attention and providing resources for growth.”
Giving Back
In addition to being one of the most heavily decorated athletes to represent the US, Jordan has been fortunate to see her sports career come full circle as an athlete and now as a coach. “I always wanted to get into coaching, and I love being around the sport so much. Plus college is just so different from international volleyball…I wanted to pour into the next generation of athletes and give back,” she says. Thus, the University of Nebraska alumna returned to her alma mater in 2023 as Assistant Coach and helped lead the team to a Big Ten title and second-place finish in the NCAA. As for what it’s like to now be on the other side of the game, Jordan reflects on how she’s been able to “come to peace with coaching” thanks to her playing career ending in a way that felt “finished and under [her] control.” “I thought I would struggle more with frustration levels, and maybe if my career had been left unfinished then I would have struggled more with coaching...
But I think it comes down to how you define success because that affects how you approach the next chapter of your life.”
Now, Jordan is helping young volleyball players navigate the same uncertainty she faced in her initial journal to the Olympics through a new league called League One Volleyball (LOVB). As a “former club volleyball kid” herself, Jordan loves the format of LOVB as it connects club teams directly to professional teams, providing young athletes with a clear vision of a path to professional volleyball. After about five years of creating the foundation for LOVB and getting momentum behind it, plus the recent explosion in women’s sports, “the timing just feels right,” said Jordan, who herself just signed a two-year contract to continue playing with LOVB.
And thus, the game continues on for Jordan Larson.
Quick Facts About Jordan:
female role model: her mom
favorite strengthening exercise: med ball slam
favorite sport: to play and watch - volleyball
favorite hobby not sports or gym: organizing things
favorite travel spot: Cabo & Barcelona
dream travel spot: Maldives
best not vb related memory from Paris: meeting Snoop Dogg
Accomplishment she’s most proud of: the gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021
Written by Kaycee Glattke
Kaycee is a dual-discipline engineer with a passion for sports science and educating athletes. She earned her BS in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomechanics from the University of Florida and her MS & PhD in biomedical engineering from Arizona State University. She has experience working with athletes of all ages and levels in both a clinical and research setting from her pre- and post-doctoral training in Sports Medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona.
She is currently the Chief Research and Development Officer of Visven, LLC, an Arizona-based start-up that lays claim to the most accurate markerless single-camera motion analysis system for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and sports performance. She is also a coach and personal trainer at Legacy Gym in Milwaukee, WI. When she's not trying to develop the next big thing in biomechanics, you can usually find Kaycee lifting, climbing, baking, or hanging out with her dog, Gibson.
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