In today’s NCAA, which is filled with NIL deals and transfer athletes, loyalty is rare. That is precisely what makes Texas State volleyball fifth-year setter Ryann Torres an uncommon player in collegiate athletics.
Torres has spent all five years at Texas State, embracing the ups and downs of collegiate athletics by looking at the positives and holding memories close.
As a fifth-year player on a young roster, Torres knows it is now her turn to become the leader of the team. She said she began to feel the pressure of stepping into that role during her senior year and she has come a long way in terms of being a leader on the court.
“Just being relatable is what I’m really good at in my leadership,” Torres said. “I’m just there for [the team] when things are hard or out of sorts.”
Along with emerging as a leader, Torres also stepped up on the court in a big way for the Bobcats. As a senior, Torres was named Second Team All-Conference setter and is currently outperforming her senior year stats.
Torres currently leads the Sun Belt with 10.36 assists per set, and according to Texas State Head Coach Sean Huiet, she has a great shot at winning the Sun Belt Setter of the Year award.
“Ryann always wants to win; she’s [extremely] competitive,” Huiet said. “I think [Torres] has a really good shot at Setter of The Year…and I think it’s her competitiveness that really makes that tick; she’s willing to do whatever it takes.”
Huiet also said because Torres has been in the program for five years, he can have tough conversations with her or use her as an outlet to relay messages to the team.
“I’ve been a head coach for five years and she’s been here for five years, so I feel like we have a relationship where she can come in and we can talk about anything,” Huiet said. “I can call her up and ask her what’s going on, tell her something isn’t going to fly or that the team needs to reach a certain level.”
Torres hasn’t always been front and center in her collegiate career, though. As a sophomore in 2021, she played in 91 sets, which is still the most she’s played in one season. But as a junior, her playing time took a dramatic hit, appearing in 38 sets.
Torres said seeing a dip in playing time affected her and she could have easily jumped into the transfer portal like others. Instead, she chose to look at it as a necessary hurdle to becoming the player she is today.
“[Playing less] did mess with me a little bit, but at the end of the day it just built character,” Torres said. “It took me a lot to work through, but I think [my situation] helped me mature a lot.”
With Torres’ final season approaching an end, Huiet said there’s so much more than just her playing abilities that will be missed.
“[Torres] has been the one player who has been with me as a head coach all five years,” Huiet said. “[Torres] has a great personality, she makes us laugh; there’s so much more to her than just the volleyball side that we’re going to miss.”
As for Torres herself, she said she will always be fond of her time as a Bobcat because it has helped make her who she is today.
“Getting through the hard times has given me confidence; I’ve found who I am as an athlete and I’ve found who I am as an individual,” Torres said. “Remembering all the big moments that made me feel sad or happy, I’ll just take them with me and cherish them because those are the best memories ever.”
