Carlsbad girls’ volleyball captain senior Ruby Partain has verbally committed to the University of Southern Mississippi to play Division 1 beach volleyball. After years of hard work and dedication, she is excited for her new chapter in her academic and athletic career.
Partain has played a key role in CHS’s volleyball program, being on varsity for all four years of indoor, as well as playing on the varsity beach team last season. Balancing the two has helped shape her prowess and future career in the sport.
“School beach and indoor [have] been a big portion of my high school and volleyball experience,” Partain said. “They both have helped me really bring out my competitiveness and confidence on and off the court.”
Although the balance between school and volleyball has been difficult for Partain, she has always maintained a drive to persevere. Through all of the pressure of picking a college, she chose Southern Miss because they had a great community and team ethic, which she couldn’t pass up.
“I have always looked up to my peers, seeing them go through the same athletic and academic struggles as me,” Partain said. “Seeing them bounce back quickly really makes me hopeful during hard situations and inspires me to do the same thing.”
Senior Olivia Town has played alongside Partain on the varsity indoor team for the past two seasons. Because they are frequently on the court together, Town has experienced Partain as an athlete and teammate firsthand.
“What makes her stand out is she has a really competitive energy and always wants to win,” Town said. “Ruby has improved as a teammate a lot, and she has stepped into her leadership role as captain very well.”
As the only player on varsity who has committed to college for volleyball so far has inspired the other members of the team. Town shares how Partain’s competitiveness brings out a similar spirit in the rest of the players during practices and games.
“Her commitment has made us all want to work harder and strive to be ambitious on the court,” Town said. “Ruby goes hard at every single practice and gives her all at each drill we do, and [she] brings that into games as well.”
Head coach of girls indoor varsity and athletic director Tom Bloomquist has been Partain’s coach for two years, her sophomore and senior years. He has seen her excel on and off the court during all her time in the program.
“Ruby is the type of player all coaches want to have,” Bloomquist said. “She never wants to step off the court and [is] determined to continue playing volleyball in college, which is a big reason she is set [apart] from other players.”
Bloomquist expresses how Partain’s drive for playing is not the only driving factor that helped her commit to playing volleyball in college. Her adaptability in changing positions has made her a more notable player, as she was moved from middle-blocker, her club and underclassmen position, to outside during her junior and senior years.
“The coaches felt like she would have a bigger impact on the game as an individual [on the] outside,” Bloomquist said. “I think it also helped her playing indoor for her beach career, having to pass and play back row, serve, and play front row, she leads by example on the court and never gives up.”
Partain is seen as a role model for younger players to continue to push themselves not only in the game, but out of it. Committing to play D1 beach volleyball after transitioning from indoor to beach less than a year ago is a huge accomplishment and a great example to younger players to try new things,
“My advice for other volleyball athletes is to make sure you get out of your comfort zone,” Partain said. “I am excited to play in college and do what I love, while also making new friends and connections throughout both college and playing a sport for my school.”
