SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball's Erin Gillcrist recently underwent shoulder surgery after suffering an injury during an early spring practice.
Earlier, the Aztec right-side hitter was named team captain for the 2020 campaign this fall, which will mark her final season on The Mesa.
In 55 career matches, Gillcrist has launched 349 kills (1.83/set) and has totaled 126.0 blocks to go with 61 digs.
A native of Lakewood, Colorado, Gillcrist has two older sisters who played Division I volleyball: Rachel at Saint Mary's (2010-14) and Marie at Rhode Island (2014-17).
Gillcrist, who remains in San Diego to continue her classes online, chatted with GoAztecs.com earlier this week and discussed a wide variety of topics, including her injury, her path to SDSU and her thoughts on the new coaching staff.
GoAztecs.com: Can you take us through the events leading up to your surgery?
Erin Gillcrist: I had surgery last week on the labrum in my left shoulder to keep from dislocating. I had trouble with my shoulder dislocating. It was on my non-dominant arm luckily, so that'll help with the recovery process. They basically put three anchors in my shoulder to help tighten it back up. That's what they told me. Recently, I had dislocated it during a spring practice. I returned to playing with a brace on it, and I was just waiting to get a follow-up MRI after the injury. Once I got that MRI, I had some discussions. And then with the whole coronavirus thing and not being able to play all spring, we kind of came to the decision that it would be good to get it done now, so I can rehab and recover while everything has slowed down a little bit.
GoAztecs.com: How soon do you expect to get back up to speed?
EG: Because it's on my left arm, which is my non-hitting arm, it should be about July right before the season starts that I can start doing volleyball-related activities. That's good because it's before the start of preseason. Luckily, it shouldn't affect my hitting too much. Of course, I'll have to get my arm over my head for blocking and passing. That'll be the toughest part. Not as long as it would've been, though, if it was my right arm.
GoAztecs.com: Can you elaborate on the importance of spring volleyball in preparation for the fall season?
EG: Spring entails a lot of conditioning and lifting. From a volleyball perspective, spring is also a chance to work on a lot of skills, or particularly in our situation this year, learning how to play with our new coaches. Typically during the spring, we lift every single day because we don't really lift in the fall, so it's really our time to bulk up, get strong and get our verticals up without doing tons and tons of hitting reps and jumping reps every day like we would in the fall. If we condition really well and get stronger during the spring, it obviously transfers over into the fall. Then we'll have a little bit of competition for about a month in April (in a normal year). That means we'll scrimmage teams we might not get to play in the regular season like an Arizona or a USC, those type of teams. So it's good competition just to see where we're at before the fall season starts.
GoAztecs.com: What does it mean to be selected as team captain?
EG: It doesn't change a lot for me just because I feel everyone on our team has a good voice, or that's what we're working on. We're trying to give everyone a good voice, some type of leadership position whether it's from the bench or on the court. I've been groomed up to this point to take care of some of the communication between the coaches and the team. With the new coaches, I'm just trying to make my last year the best season possible for everybody and for the younger players, I'm just trying to facilitate some of the new changes that are being made, and that's exciting because really like working with Coach Hilliard and Coach Timmons.
GoAztecs.com: What has the team been doing to stay in shape during the quarantine?
EG: We've been working closely with Mike Young our strength and conditioning coach. Basically, he's created plans that incorporate a lot of body weight plyometrics, things that people can do at home without having a full weight room accessible. Because that's the toughest part right now, just not having weights. People don't have a gym at home, so we're trying to modify our routine with jump roping or box jumping onto something sturdy at the house. People can also go on runs around their neighborhoods. So he has a modified plan for everyone, which is nice. They're working on ordering us all rubber bands, too, so everyone can do band work. We're also working very closely with Deb Callahan in athletic medicine. She's taking care of injury rehabs and sends us our plans. We have to check in with her every day to make sure we are keeping up with our plan and have completed our rehab. So they're keeping as close of an eye on us as they can.
GoAztecs.com: How did the change to online classes go?
EG: The transition happened pretty quick. For my major in particular, it was easier to convert some of the material to online instruction. I'm an interdisciplinary studies major in journalism, media, communications and RTN. It took like two weeks for certain syllabuses to change and add the new format for the classes. The academic office in our athletic department has done a very good job, and I have meetings with them three times a week to make sure I'm keeping up with my online classes and coursework. There's a two-hour window that I have to sit through to do my classes and make sure I'm not falling behind at all, but they're doing a good job.
GoAztecs.com: In addition to classes, what other activities have you taken up during the quarantine?
EG: Before my surgery, I played a lot of H-O-R-S-E and P-I-G in the yard. We have a basketball hoop outside, so that's what was keeping me entertained throughout the day. I think I played every card game I have at home. I was playing Speed with a deck of cards and Cards Against Humanity. We were also playing Sorry! and Twister, those were all kind of pre-surgery games. But I've been kind of keeping a low profile since then. I was working out at home, which kind of helped to make the time pass, but now it's a little slower. I kind of watch a lot more TV now.
GoAztecs.com: You come from a family of volleyball players, was there any kind of sibling rivalry growing up?
EG: A little bit of a rivalry (laughs). I'm a very competitive person and my two older sisters played, so I wanted to be the best one. We had a net set up in the yard and we always played against one another. We played games with the family. My cousins played volleyball as well. It was always a fun, family rivalry, but we were definitely very supportive of one another.
GoAztecs.com: Why did you choose San Diego State?
EG: It was a long time ago and I think I was a sophomore in high school when I committed. I really wanted to get out of Colorado, so there was an awesome opportunity to go live in California, live on my own. I created a good relationship with a bunch of the girls on the team by going to camps for a couple of years and making visits. I met the girls who I was going to potentially play with and we got along very well, so I just felt right about the school. I felt comfortable with everyone who I met on the team, and they just seemed so welcoming to me. Ultimately when it came down to making my final choice, I felt the most comfortable about San Diego State and the opportunities here.
GoAztecs.com: Were there any upperclassmen on the team that you looked up to when you arrived on campus?
EG: Oh yeah, definitely. I think Deja Harris played a huge role in recruiting. She always showed me around during visits and she was always someone who I stayed in contact with during the process. Alexis Cage was a senior when I was a freshman, and I had a really great relationship with her. She worked extremely hard and was one of the best players on the team, so I really looked up to her. Even though she's only a year older than me, I always looked up to Hannah Turnlund as well. She also had a very good work ethic, and I would always try to keep up with her whenever we'd go on runs as a team. Those are probably the three I can think of.
GoAztecs.com: Are there any memorable matches that stand out over the course of your career thus far?
EG: During my sophomore year (in 2018) we beat USD in the crosstown match and that was one of the first times where I had the opportunity to play as an outside, which was a different position for me. But the team really came together, and we swept them. Another one I just remembered was against Wyoming that same year. It was on my birthday, and we had a rough non-conference schedule. This was our first Mountain West match and we got a huge five-set win at home that was really close at the end, [15-13] or something like that in the final set. Those were definitely the most memorable of my college career so far.
GoAztecs.com: What are your impressions of new head coach Brent Hilliard?
EG: I love his form of leadership. It's a little different than what I've experienced in the past. I would describe it like he commands our attention rather than demanding it. He just has the type of personality where everyone sort of follows him naturally, and that's been a nice transition for us. He's very confident in himself, his coaching style, his past and career. With his background, it just makes it easier to trust him. I really love the way he has run our practices. We always start out with something that is fun or not necessarily volleyball related. For example, we'll run post patterns across the net or play P-I-G against one another with the basketball hoops down, something that kind of gets us in a good mood before practice starts. Then we start practice and the drills are high energy, they're really fast-paced. Even though we didn't get a lot of 6-on-6 work done this spring, it was still very competitive just because of the way he had the drills set up. So I have really liked the transition so far.
GoAztecs.com: Has Coach Hilliard brought anything different to the program in terms of philosophy or attitude?
EG: Oh yeah, definitely. Pretty much everything is run completely different now. The way our practices are run, for example, his philosophy is that everyone needs to know how to do everything. Whether you're a middle blocker or a libero, you need to know how to set a ball from the back row, or you need to know how to play defense. I think he really wants us all to be well-rounded and creative volleyball players. We just had a different focus before. I think that is really helping our team overall, making everyone practice those skills so that in those imperfect situations, which is what volleyball is pretty much all about, anyone can make a play at any time if they need to.
GoAztecs.com: What does it mean to have someone like Steve Timmons on the coaching staff?
EG: We call him Red now (laughs). I'm a right-side hitter and that was the position he played, so he's been able to give me some very good advice. Just little things to tweak, and the set that I call is named after him. He knows what he's talking about and I really respect him and his knowledge of the game. So it's been kind of cool for me as a senior to sit there and soak in these little tidbits he wants me to use to help perfect my swing or my serve, or the way I play defense or block. I got to work with him one-on-one a few times, and I had the chance to talk to him on the side and that's been really awesome.
GoAztecs.com: In addition to a full recovery, what are your goals for the upcoming season?
EG: We keep talking about this as a team, but the goal really is to win the conference. We feel like we have all these pieces this year. I just want us to put everything out there but if we fall short, I want us to have a successful, winning, competitive season. I think that we have the pieces to go a long way, and I'm excited. I haven't really felt that way before this year. We have a great group of girls and a great coaching staff, so I feel that we can make the necessary changes with this new leadership. I want to make an NCAA Tournament appearance in my senior year, so that is my ultimate goal.
GoAztecs.com: Do you plan to stay involved with volleyball after graduation?
EG: I think so. The volleyball world has been my entire life, so I think it'll be hard to get away from. I have some aspirations of perhaps playing overseas, do something professionally if my body holds up during my senior season. That's something I've been thinking about. I feel like so many connections in my life have been made through volleyball so when it comes time to network for jobs, those will come from the volleyball world as well.
GoAztecs.com: In your opinion, who is the one returning player that will surprise people this fall?
EG: I think Nya Blair is going to be an exciting player to watch. She had her debut at the end of last season, and I think she did a very good job. It was just a glimpse of what we see every day in practice and that's exciting. Onnie Walker is another. She got a lot more playing time last year at middle blocker and she's only getting better. I'm very excited to see what she'll do this fall.
GoAztecs.com: Who has the best sense of humor on your team?
EG: We have a couple of those. Our freshman class was very goofy this past year. They were always doing the dance-offs and cracking the jokes. Nya Blair has a very dry sense of humor. Sometimes you miss (the joke), but then you hear her start laughing off to the side and it turns out to be really funny. Gabriella Spaethling is another. I feel I can always joke around with her all the time. Onnie Walker, too. She's my roommate. She's hilarious, one of the most unique people I've ever met in my life. She's got a unique sense of humor. She gets everyone on the team to crack up all the time.
GoAztecs.com: Are there any shows on Netflix that you recommend for binge watching during the quarantine?
EG: I've binge watched the basic ones, Tiger King, Ozark and All-American. One that I don't think people know about is The Good Place. It was a very funny show, one I binged watched for the second time here during the break and one that I recommend. I've also watched a few episodes of the series The Explained. Those are the only ones I can think of, but I'm trying to find some new ones.
GoAztecs.com: Is there anything else that you would like to say to Aztec Nation at this time?
EG: Just be ready to come out and support us in the fall. I can't wait.