For an athlete constantly looking to play at the top of his or her game, being referred to simply as "good" may not hold much significance. But for senior Blake Robinson, who emulates the word both on and off the volleyball court, the praise is more than a cliché.
"Blake is a good friend, good volleyball player, good student, a good brother to his sister Bailey, a good son to his parents Mona and John, a good boyfriend to Alexis and most of all he is good in the moral sense of the word," teammate and fellow senior Sean Vitousek said. "He is a good person."
Robinson isn't merely a stereotypical "good-guy" off the court, though. During his four seasons at Princeton, he's left his mark on the court, too.
Posting 119 kills already this season, the lanky outside hitter has been a leading scorer for the Tigers throughout his career. Perhaps what makes Robinson so valuable, though, is his ability to play on both sides of the net. His impressive offensive results are complemented by his equally strong defensive game — he has 79 digs so far this year, the second highest on the team.
Perfect fit
Four years ago, Robinson found himself facing the same dilemma as any other highly recruited athlete — trying to decide upon a school that was right for him. Considering Stanford and UCLA, he initially planned on staying in California, but a trip to Princeton in the fall of his senior year changed his plans.
"I knew that I didn't want to play for an extremely serious program that would require a lot of time, so I thought Princeton volleyball was a good compromise," Robinson said. "It was Division-I, but I wouldn't have to spend hours and hours every day all year."
Fortunately, Princeton turned out to be a perfect fit, and Robinson met with success from the beginning.
"Blake was a volleyball stud since day one," Vitousek said. "He stepped right into being the goto guy as a freshman, and he kept getting better."
Robinson seems to have an aptitude for clinching big points when his team needs them. His play has contributed not only to countless Tiger victories but also to his receiving numerous individual honors, including being named to the All-EIVA team last season. Last year against Rutgers-Newark, Robinson turned in a 22-kill performance that led his team to a dramatic comeback to capture the win after trailing, 2-0. He was named EIVA Player of the Week for that effort, the first Tiger to receive the honor for the season.
Bumps along the way
The road to excellence has not been without bumps for Robinson, though. After being plagued by a back stress fracture and a shoulder injury in high school, the lingering back problems affected him through the first half of his collegiate career. Robinson also hurt his ankle in March of last year in a game against Juniata and was forced to sit out the rest of the season.
"He was bummed he couldn't play, but he has such a strong character," Vitousek said. "It didn't really even phase him out."
Though Robinson was forced to endure over six months of rehab, his intensity and discipline, helped carry him through.
"Blake's dedicated, and after his injury he showed a lot by the work he put into quickly recovering," senior Eric Brown said.
Both Robinson's focus and his optimistic attitude serve to motivate his teammates, especially during the current season, which has been somewhat disappointing for the Tigers.
"Not getting down and knowing that we will come back strong is a lesson that we need to learn as a team," Vitousek said. "Blake is the guy to lead us back to being strong from what he has learned in his experience."
Perhaps it is Robinson's leadership skills that help make the team so close-knit.
"We get along especially well this year," Robinson said. "Everyone comes out to practice and plays hard, and it's pretty self-motivating. It's like any other sport here — people are playing because they want to."
As the season winds down, Robinson inevitably will be thinking about the fact that his days of Princeton volleyball are numbered. Asked if he had any final comments to his team, he pauses for a minute before flashing the smile that so perfectly captures his good nature.
"It's been an honor to be their captain."
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