Jordyn Poulter exclusive: 'I find inspiration in knowing I'm still not the best version of myself'
As soon as she hit the ground, Jordyn Poulter says she knew what was going to lie ahead: "I could tell it was going to be a gnarly recovery," Poulter explains of her December 2022 knee injury, in which she tore her ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus during a game in the Italian club league she plays in.
Eighteen months later, the 26-year-old setter for U.S. women's volleyball team is back in action, with the reigning Olympic champions taking part in Volleyball Nations League pool play in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It's been a long and arduous journey for Poulter, who was named the best setter at Tokyo 2020. She says she wasn't certain how - or if - her body would respond to the many layers of intense physical therapy she had to endure.
But this latest challenge has revealed to her the depth of her determination, challenging both Jordyn the person and the athlete at every measured step: "I find inspiration in knowing that I'm still not my best version of myself as an athlete or human," she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview last month.
"There's always something to take away from a training, a competition, a new teammate, a new relationship," she continued. "I think that's what makes it really worthwhile. And it's inspiring knowing that there's still more capacity to grow; it makes every day a new challenge."
Jordyn Poulter: 'One step at a time'
It wasn't until March of this year that Poulter says she was back to 100 percent, with Paris 2024 looming, and the U.S. women's national team being one of the most competitive programs in the world. Her return to form wasn't a given.
"You go through highs and lows, and until you're out the other side of the tunnel, you hope for people who support and believe in you along the way," she said. "And [it's about] just taking every day one step at a time, I think that ultimately leads to the bounce back."
Having been a standout setter in college for Illinois, Poulter joined the U.S. national team in 2018 and helped lead Team USA to gold at both the 2019 and 2021 VNL, that second win setting up the American women for their first-ever Olympic gold in indoor volleyball come Tokyo.
Poulter and longtime U.S. star Jordan Larson, an outside hitter, have taken on leadership roles for a squad that continues to be one of the top teams in the world, ranked No.2 internationally (behind Poland) and having placed fourth at the VNL in 2023. With 11 veterans on the initial roster for VNL 2024, Poulter knows her own journey of self is just one of many on the greater team.
"Volleyball is the ultimate team sport," she said. "You've got six people on your side, and every single one of those people have to work in unison to be able to get three contacts and ultimately win a rally. Looking for those kind of subtleties and nuances of how we communicate with one another during play... and some of the intricacies that we have to navigate playing volleyball, [that] makes it interesting to watch."
Team USA eyes back-to-back Olympic golds
Since 2018, Poulter has played in Italy's Serie A1 league, which attracts some of the best players in the world. As several leagues look to get off the ground in the U.S., Poulter also appreciates the global appeal of the sport: "It's pretty amazing when we go to other countries and see the following for women's volleyball," she said. "People love watching the sport [and] not only supporting their home country, but just enjoying good volleyball."
USA will look to win back-to-back Olympic gold in Paris, not done in women's volleyball since Brazil captured the title at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Even as the U.S. roster is still set to be finalised for Paris, Poulter says the atmosphere is bright: This is a group of high-intensity but energised athletes who know they must gel together.
And have a little fun along the way, too, she said.
"The funniest person on our team is Danielle Cuttino," she said, smiling. "She has just a way of immersing her audience into whatever story or experience she's talking about, and bringing in kind of [that] light-hearted emotion, which is really fun to be around."
And who's the maternal one on the squad?
"I would go with Jordan Larson," Poulter said, smiling. "She's coming up on her fourth Olympics, and she's got the experience and the the knowledge and skill to hold everyone to a high standard, while also being our biggest encourager."