Talk about your new-fangled college recruiting in today's days of modern technology.
When Quocmy Nguyen graduated from Rutgers-Newark last June, it left the men's volleyball team without a libero.
It forced R-N head men's volleyball coach Pedro Trevino to search far and wide for a replacement to Nguyen.
"I knew I was losing my senior libero," Trevino said. "I had to go out and get one. It was our No. 1 priority."
In Newton, Massachusetts, a young libero named Jake Connors was searching for a collegiate home.
"I really wanted to major in business," Connors said. "Rutgers-Newark was really close to New York City. I thought there would be a good possibility for an internship in New York. I knew Rutgers-Newark had a good volleyball program and it used to be (NCAA) Division I. That helped with my decision."
So expressing interest in R-N, Connors sent an e-mail to Trevino.
"I had to make sure I watched him," Trevino said. "I went online to YouTube to see highlights."
It didn't take long for Trevino to realize that he found his man.
"I can watch a video and tell you in 20 seconds if he could play," Trevino said. "Just by the way he moved. He always got in front of the ball every time. He was moving all the time. That's what I liked about him. I could tell he could adjust to the college level and be a good libero as a freshman."
Trevino then went to see his future defensive specialist in person.
"I went to a few of his tournaments just to see for real," Trevino said. "Immediately, I knew he was it. I've been doing this for a while now. I know."
When Connors arrived in Newark, he was a little awestruck.
"I saw that the campus was safe, so that was a big relief," Connors said. "I liked the campus. It was nice. I was a little nervous because I didn't know anyone, but the other guys really went out of their way to welcome me. I became good friends with the other guys on the team. That really helped."
Connors was floored when he was told of Trevino's instant impression of Connors' talents.
"I never heard that from him before," Connors said. "It's pretty impressive that he said that. It was nice of him. I guess my form is pretty good and he probably saw that before he came to see me play."
How about replacing a veteran like Nguyen at such a crucial position?
"I guess there was a lot of pressure," Connors said. "I watched him (Nguyen) on live stream. I knew what he could do."
Again, Connors' recruitment is a pure product of the internet.
Nguyen has helped Connors feel more comfortable.
"He's still around and comes to practices some times," Connors said. "He's been very helpful. It has made things a little easier."
Connors has been holding his own as the Scarlet Raiders' new libero. After 15 matches, Connors leads the team in digs with 124 (2.38 per set) and is third in assists with 35.
"It's a tough thing mentally to get used to, but 15 games into the season, he's been steady," Trevino said. "I knew that we might have an up-and-down year. Any time you're breaking in a new setter or a new libero, it's tough, but he's more than holding his own. He's doing exactly what I thought he could do. I set the bar pretty high and right now, he's doing all that."
Trevino was asked to describe Connors' personality.
"He's quiet, but he's also very funny," Trevino said. "He's a (New England) Patriots fan and I'm a (Green Bay) Packers fan, so we go back and forth with that. Right now, he has the upper hand. He will say something when you're not expecting anyone to say anything. You can be talking about anything and he'll just stare at you, especially when we're shooting hoops. He's a great kid. He's respectful, but mostly quiet and shy."
Connors is still undecided about a field of major to study at R-N.
As for his rookie campaign?
"I think I'm doing alright," Connors said. "As for the team, we could be doing better. I would say we have a pretty good team. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings here."
And for the kid from Newton, Massachusetts who basically recruited himself to become more comfortable in the role he was born to play – the thankless role of the libero.
