Jordan Thompson (right) looks to help Team USA capture its second straight gold medal in indoor women’s volleyball. The former Cincinnati standout was a key part of the team’s Tokyo Olympic squad. (Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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Former Bearcat reflects on journey to U.S. national team, impact of college experience
It took quite a while for Cincinnati alum Jordan Thompson to imagine being here, fighting to defend an Olympic gold medal as a key piece of the U.S. women's indoor volleyball team.
This was especially true after feeling a pop in her elbow during a practice in 2017. The sound, a moment that's never left her in many ways, was a tear in her ulnar collateral ligament. It required what's referred to as Tommy John surgery — named after a baseball player who was the first to undergo the surgery. It ended her junior season, which followed a spectacular sophom*ore campaign that included being unanimously named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
"As I was recovering from my surgery, and it was a 10-month-long recovery, I didn't picture this," Thompson said after Team USA's 3-0 win against host France, which advanced the U.S. out of pool play into Tuesday's quarterfinals. "I didn't picture coming to my second Olympics, being able to be a part of Team USA and play a role on this team.
"It feels really cool to think about where I was and where I am now."
The injury, which initially seemed like a setback, turned into an opportunity for Thompson to grow in ways she hadn't imagined. She became a student of the game, intensely watching film of her team and some of the best international teams across Europe.
"Having that time to see the game from a different perspective and learn a lot and really try to be a sponge and soak it all in, I think that made me a better player. It made me better not only technically but also my presence on the court and the kind of teammate that I want to be, the way I want to pick up my teammates and encourage them and cheer them on," she said. "I think it was a good time to just reflect and figure out what do I want to look like when I come back?"
Thompson said her teammates and coaches were great examples to follow during her injury recovery.
"I always felt super involved in the team. I never felt like an outsider just because I was injured, and I think that is just a credit to my teammates and the love that we shared and then just the coaching staff trying to figure out ways to help keep me involved in any way possible," she said. "The athletic trainers and the doctors were absolutely amazing and not only helped me helping me physically but making sure that I was taken care of mentally, as well."
Thompson returned to the court better than before. In 2018, she set the school record with 827 kills in a single season, and her average of 6.27 kills per set broke the NCAA record. During a first-team All-American season in 2019, she set an NCAA rally-scoring era record with 50 kills in a match against UConn.
Still, any dream of an Olympic opportunity was far from her mind. Even when she joined the U.S. women's national team in 2019, she thought it would be short-lived. She earned a roster spot for the U.S. in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League and anticipated going home after "the first week."
"Basically, they needed some extra players to fill in for those who weren't back from overseas yet, and I ended up just continuing to make the roster each week," she said.
Thompson's play helped the U.S. win gold at the 2019 VNL final round and kept her part of a stacked roster that took gold at a Tokyo Olympic qualification tournament. That's when she finally admitted to herself that she might have Olympic potential. At least, partially.
"At that point, I felt, 'OK, maybe there's a chance that I might have a shot at making Tokyo,'" she said. "But for me, in my head, it still felt a little bit far-fetched."
The one-year delay of the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic gave Thompson additional time to feel mentally and physically confident about making the Olympic roster. Her boosted confidence showed time and time again in Tokyo, as she helped spark the U.S. to its first Olympic gold medal in indoor women's volleyball.
She's continued to find more confidence in her second Games, calling it her "sophom*ore" Games.
"I have one under my belt, so I feel a little bit more like confident and comfortable being in this space," she said. "I felt like last time I was trying really hard to figure everything out and play well. Now I just feel a little bit more at ease."
Additionally, she's been able play in front of raucous crowds and enjoy the experience with family and friends, neither of which was possible in Tokyo. One particularly special moment occurred off the court in Paris when Thompson connected with her former college coach, Molly Alvey, before the team's final pool play match.
"I have a really close relationship with that whole coaching staff still, so to have Coach Molly come over and have time to share this experience with her, it meant a lot because she played a massive role in me getting to this point," Thompson said. "To say that her impact was huge is an understatement. She helped me not only as a player, but as a person and growing into the woman that I am today. She had confidence for me when I didn't have it for myself and really pushed me because she saw the potential and so that meant the world to me.
"I feel like it's not just an amazing experience for me, but to share that with her I think is such a gift and I feel really honored."
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