AVERY KALSU: A Leader On and Off the Court

Ask every player on a volleyball team which position is the hardest, and the most common response is setter.

University of Tulsa senior Avery Kalsu has been playing the position since she was 9 years old, and she has a rare combination of abilities that make her elite.

"A good setter has to have a high volleyball IQ," Avery said. "That's big. She has to have strong leadership qualities because you're involved in every single play whether you like it or not. You are touching the ball every time.

"Consistency and speed I think are very important, especially for the way that I play. I'm not as dynamic skill-wise as other setters are, but I use my athleticism."

That athleticism has been with Avery from a young age. Her parents were raised in Oklahoma, and Avery spent four of her early years in Tulsa – where her first memories as a kid originated – before her family moved to Dallas and later near Austin, Texas.

Avery Kalsu youth — Avery playing youth volleyball

While living in Tulsa, Avery did gymnastics and stood out, and not just because she was a head taller than everyone else. As a 3-year-old, she nonchalantly climbed a 30-foot rope to the ceiling. Everyone watched in amazement. Avery elicited similar reactions as she moved with ease from sport to sport, excelling in soccer, swimming, track and especially volleyball.

"I come from a very competitive family; competition has probably been the biggest part of my life ever since I was born, honestly," she said. "I have an older brother and a younger sister who are both Division I athletes. My brother ran track at Davidson College and then my little sister is going to play soccer at OU.

"Playing different sports was important (to our family). All of my siblings were doing it, but then also it was always the most important thing to me."

In junior high, Avery opted to stop playing soccer to focus on volleyball while still running track through high school.

"I love the team dynamic (of volleyball)," she said. "I've played a lot of sports, but volleyball to me feels like the most team sport I've played. Each of the six girls on the court has a different job. I think that it's very unique in that aspect, that everybody has to be working together."

Volleyball also seemed like the most likely option for Avery to play college sports. As an eighth-grader, she was recruited for the first time – by TU, where she went on her first visit.

"My first text, my first phone call, my first everything was the University of Tulsa," she said. "It did have an impact, for sure."

Avery went on to have a stellar high school career in Dripping Springs, Texas, going 54-0 against district competition and tallying 3,115 assists, 1,508 digs and 170 aces. She made the state finals in volleyball and in track, where she set school records in the 400-meter run.

Kalsu running track — Avery running track in high school

In college, Avery weathered the COVID-19 pandemic as a freshman during a shortened season that featured 10 games in the spring. She settled in as a sophomore, becoming a starter and recording 653 assists.

Last season, she led TU with 14 double-doubles and notched a triple-double at Cincinnati with 14 assists, 13 digs and 12 kills. Despite an offseason coaching change, Avery never considered leaving for another school.

"I love the University of Tulsa with my whole heart, so transferring was never really an option for me," she said. "Bringing in a new coach, it was like letting go of everything and just fully committing and fully diving into what she had to say and what the assistant coaches had to say.

"It's been extremely easy. I love the three of them. They are three of the most amazing women I've met. They're role models for me in not only volleyball, but in life and their walks with faith. Everything that they do, I look up to."

In Lauren Ramatowski's head-coaching debut, Avery helped the Hurricane open the season with a 3-1 win against Michigan State last Saturday, producing 24 assists on 95 attempts and recording a dozen digs for her first double-double of the year.

"Avery is a wonderful setter for us but more importantly she is an amazing human being. Her athleticism and her leadership are an important piece to her success in her position and on our team," said Ramatowski. "What we love most about Avery is her competitiveness…every day in the gym we know Avery will bring her best effort and will make those around her better."

A leader on and off the court, Avery is president of TU's Fellowship of Christian Athletes and secretary for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"From my freshman year, I've been involved with FCA and I've wanted to be involved with SAAC," she said. "Getting to be a voice for people on campus is something I've always been passionate about. I'm confident in myself now, so I feel confident to speak up for people."

Avery Kalsu with family — The Kalsu family after a TU volleyball game

This will be the final volleyball season for Avery, who plans to enroll in a physician assistant program. In May, she went with classmates on a healthcare trip to Greece, working with practitioners aiding refugees.

"It was a very unique experience," she said. "It changed my perspective on medicine and made me more passionate about it. I was very grateful to go on that."

Throughout her time at TU, Avery has garnered a sense of appreciation for the university and the relationships she has forged along the way.

"I have made the best friends through TU athletics and through TU," she said. "Everybody that you come in contact with at TU genuinely wants the very best for you – not only as a volleyball player, but they want the best for me as a person."

AVERY KALSU: A Leader On and Off the Court

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Avery Kalsu

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