Tarr Soars to Success
by Frank Burlison, Long Beach Press-Telegram
April 23, 2005 Long Beach State's Robert Tarr is a product of Cape Canaveral, Fla. Consider the delicious irony: There aren't many athletes, volleyball or otherwise, with the kind of "lift off'' that the 49ers' junior outside hitter possesses. The outstanding leapers, be it in basketball, volleyball, football or in track and field as high jumpers, explode vertically before ascending to the court, field or infield. The 6-foot-6 Tarr does the same thing. Only he appears to hover above the gathered masses below him a lot longer than most springy athletes you'll find anywhere.
"Think of any real good jumper you've seen (in basketball), be it Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady or whoever,'' Long Beach State men's volleyball coach Alan Knipe said. "They look like they get to the point where they are done (ascending) but then climb even higher. Well, that's how Robert is.'' Knipe said that Tarr, who will take a team-high 506 kills into the No. 4-ranked 49ers' Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament quarterfinal match at the University of Hawaii tonight, "sometimes does things (jumping) in practice that just leaves you shaking your head.''
"Sometimes,'' Tarr said softly, with a hint of a smile, "I'll make a play (in the air), come down and just have to laugh. I'll look over at (All-America setter) Tyler (Hildebrand) and he'll have this grin on his face like, `What was that?' It's pretty funny sometimes.''
Becoming one of the best outside hitters in college volleyball takes more than just the 42 1/2inch vertical jump (with a threestep approach) that Tarr has. That Tarr has evolved into a player of an elite caliber borders on the amazing since his high school (Rockledge) didn't field a volleyball program, and that the City of Cape Canaveral had no age-group or club programs for aspiring players. He got his exposure to the sport, and his foundation in playing it, from his mother, Susan Davis.
"I was a single mom, going to college (Central Florida University) and I would take him to the recreation leagues I played in,'' she said.
"When he was 8 or 9, he started hitting the ball on the side (of the courts). Then, when he got a little bit bigger, he would get on the court in between games and play.''
Later, she happened upon Club Gold, located in Orlando, an hour away by car.
"But he was just 12 at the time,'' she said. "And they said he couldn't play with them until he turned 14.''
He earned a spot on the program's 16-year-old team, as a 14year-old, and ultimately traveled with the program to the national 16-and-under national tournament in Dallas.
It was at a 16's national tournament in Long Beach when Tarr -on his first trek to California -started thinking seriously about becoming a 49er. "I was kind of awe-struck,'' he said. "I had heard so many things (about Southern California) it was like, `Wow! -- I'm finally here!' ''
The 49ers' coaching staff took notice of Tarr, too, (he played some matches in the Gold Mine) and they were among the multitude that offered him scholarships when he became a high school senior.
But, despite also visiting Ohio State, USC, UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge, Tarr -and his mother -- were already pretty well sold on Long Beach from that first trip.
"Long Beach felt like `home' more than the other places did,'' she said. "He had no family out there and I was so impressed with the other players and the coaches. They seemed so genuine.'' Davis has visited Tarr for a couple of weekends this season and hopes to be in Malibu watching her son and his teammates in the MPSF semifinals next Thursday night -- assuming, that is, that the 49ers win in Hawaii.
"If they win, I'm coming to Pepperdine. And if they win there, I'll stay in town (for the NCAA championships at UCLA May 5 and 7).''
Needless to say, Tarr's teammates and coaches are hoping their outside hitter-deluxe gets a nice long Southern California reunion with his mother soon. |
