Tori Macaluso named Freshman of the Year

By Brennen Rupp, JA

Tori Macaluso is a relative newcomer to the sport of volleyball. Unlike the rest of her Northeastern Junior College teammates, she didn't start playing from an early age, but just five years ago.

Consider Macaluso a quick learner. In her freshman season at NJC she recorded a team-leading 306 blocks and 117 blocks. Those gaudy statistics were good enough to earn her Region IX Freshman of the Year.

Macaluso is from Castle Rock and attended Rock Canyon High School. She chose to come to school at NJC for multiple reasons.

"I talked to my club coach and he told me I should go to NJC," Macaluso said. "It's close to home, but it's far enough away, so I'm getting the college experience. But it's close enough for me to go home if I need to. If I would have attended a four-year school I would have had to redshirt and I didn't want to do that."

Along with being named Freshman of the Year, Macaluso earned all-region and all-American honors. The recognition is a testament to all the hard work Macaluso has put in.

"It means I'm being recognized as a great athlete and player," Macaluso said. "I've worked hard to get to this point. All the years of practicing and working extra hours has paid off. I'm very grateful."

In her freshman season Macaluso recorded 10 or more kills in a match 15 times. She recorded a career-high 17 kills four times.

Everybody needs their form of release. For Macaluso playing the game she loves is her way to forget about the real world when she's on the court.

"Volleyball is something that the minute I walk into the gym I don't think about anything else," she said. "You can always get better. You're never the best you can be. You can always find ways to improve. Every game is different. Every player is different. I love the game. I use it as a form of a release and it's a chance to escape from the real world."