As a passionate volleyball fan, you are about to explore the incredible journey and achievements of longtime elite beach and indoor player Logan Tom, one of the most renowned elite level professional volleyball players produced by the United States.
Let's dig into Logan's aka "the American Nomad" early beginnings, her college career, international experience, and her impact playing while representing the USA national women's team.
Logan Tom's journey began in Napa, California, where she was born to Kristine and Melvyn Tom.
Her Dad, Melvyn Tom a former defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears in the NFL, played a role in shaping her athletic aspirations.
"There was positive encouragement from every direction. My mom had to cut my sports a little because of school, but she would run me and my brother around non-stop all day.
She was always there to support us. She kept us in it because she knew it was a positive thing, especially for young kids to grow up with sports. So she was always very supportive.
My dad was a big sports guy growing up. He played pro football. He wasn’t around as much because my parents separated.
I’d see him in the summer when we would go to Hawaii to see family. We’d go to the golfing range and drive some balls, we played one-on-one a lot.
He wasn’t involved as much as my mom was, but he always encouraged me to play and he’s happy for me. He comes out to watch our games here at Stanford.
They both give nothing but support."
from article: Logan Tom: Stanford's Standout by Nancy Laroche
While she grew up with her mother and older brother Landon in Salt Lake City, Utah, Logan spent her summer vacations with her father and their relatives in Hawaii, where she discovered her love for surfing. Her Chinese Hawaiian heritage adds to the rich tapestry of her identity.
During her high school years at Highland High School, Logan Tom left an indelible mark on the volleyball world by setting the Utah state records for career kills, a record that stood until Utah moved to five-game matches.
Her extraordinary talent extended to basketball and track as well, where she excelled and received All-state honors in basketball.
Alongside her athletic achievements, she maintained an impressive academic record, graduating with a perfect 4.00 GPA and ranking first in her class.
Her exceptional performance on the volleyball court earned her the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award in 1999, further solidifying her place among the sport's rising stars.
Logan Tom's high school journey exemplified her relentless pursuit of excellence and set the stage for her future achievements in the sport.
Her versatile athleticism, outstanding academic achievements, and numerous accolades positioned her as a true role model both on and off the court and resulted in her winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award.
"I don’t think you can possibly go to the Olympics enough if you’re an athlete.
The experience was wonderful.
If I’m lucky enough to go again, I would love to do it.
-Logan Tom for Nancy Laroche "Logan Tom: Stanford's Standout"
One of the most popular female players in the world and with a professional volleyball career spanning well over 20 years, Tom is a four-time Olympian, a two-time silver medalist and a professional volleyball player who's played on some of the top pro teams all over the world including playing in
Watch the 2001 NCAA Women's Championship Final featuring Stanford vs. Long Beach State.
In a match-up of the two leading Player of the Year candidates, Logan Tom led Stanford Cardinal takes on Cheryl Weaver and the Long Beach State 49ers.
Coming into the match, Long Beach State was undefeated at 33-0, while Stanford had only lost two matches, one at USC and the other against Long Beach in the preseason (32-2).
To reach the final, Stanford defeated defending champion Nebraska while Long Beach dispatched Arizona in the other semifinal.
All-Tournament Team
MVP: Logan Tom (Stanford)
Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford)
Ashley Ivy (Stanford)
Robyn Lewis (Stanford)
Tayyiba Haneef (Long Beach)
Brittany Hochevar (Long Beach)
Logan's collegiate achievements include the following:
Fun Fact about Logan Tom
Did you know that....
Logan is the first Stanford volleyball player to participate in an Olympic Games and then return to school to finish NCAA eligibility and class requirements.
Watch Kerri Walsh and Logan vs Lauren Cacciamani and Carrie Schoenvald in the 1999 NCAA Women's Championship Final between Stanford vs. Penn State.
Two-time Olympic volleyball player in the outside hitter position Logan participated in two Olympic games
In the Beijing Olympics she helped Team USA win a silver medal.
Then in 2012 in London again the Americans made it to the finals but lost which garnered another silver medal.
She was named Best Scorer which once again solidified her reputation as being the World's Best Hitter capable of scoring the most points, more than anyone else in the Olympic tournament.
How about being called the world's best player?
That's basically what that accomplishment means.
.
Fun Fact about Logan Tom
Did you know that..
At age 19, Logan became the youngest woman to be selected for an American Olympic volleyball team when she made the 2000 Games in Sydney.
Logan Tom has built a worldwide reputation on being a skilled all-around player who brought stability to the American serve receive and defense game, while also providing the USA National team with a solid attack and block at the net.
She has played a huge part of the American women's national team's international success for many years.
History repeats itself when Logan helped USA Volleyball bring home the silver medal along with her teammates in the 2012 London Olympics.
Here are some some fast facts about the accomplishments Logan Tom achieved as a starting outside hitter for the US National Women's Team.
Notice how many times Logan won individual awards in some of the top tournaments in the world? That's such a huge accomplishment because the pressure is real.
I purposefully marked those in red and they include being named the world's best receiver (passer), the best server or the best scorer.
As an elite outside hitter, let me be specific... a six-rotation outside hitter is one who
Logan repeatedly and consistently did EVERYTHING well and won awards for being the best at performing these skills while playing in the most prestigious volleyball tournaments in the world and competing against the best and toughest opponents.
Sponsored by the FIVB which is the international governing body for the sport of volleyball, (FIVB stands for International Federation of Volleyball in short) the Women's World Cup is a gigantic international volleyball competition where the top women's teams in the world representing their countries compete against each other for a world title which actually sounds like what happens in the Olympics, right?
Yes, it does, but the World Cup (and the World Grand Prix) is for volleyball only so think of the most elite level of women's volleyball tournament that can exist and you got it.
The Women's World Cup is every four years and takes place every odd year before an Olympic games.
Logan played in the 2007 World Cup in Japan and the next year repped the US in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Then she played again in the 2011 World Cup in Japan the year before competing in the 2012 London Olympics.
Logan while competing in three (3) FIVB World Cup tournaments as a starting outside hitter for the American team
Okay since 2018, the name of the World Grand Prix tournament has changed to the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League and Challenger Cup so if you're too young to know about the World Grand prix that's why.
But since 1993 when it was first created the World Grand Prix was an FIVB sponsored tournament held every year as a way for the FIVB to create an annual event for the top women's teams in the world that would be similar to the FIVB sponsored men's World League tournament which was hugely popular when it first started in 1990.
There are usually 32 of the top teams in the world compete for top prize money awarded to the top participating teams who compete in host sites all over the world with
Needless to say if you're named MVP of the World Grand Prix tournament then you are absolutely the BEST of the BEST in the world and Logan in 2004 was named MVP joining a super impressive group of American women starting with my friend and USA National team teammate Tara Cross Battle (MVP in 2005), followed by my friend and beach volleyball teammate 5-time Olympian Danielle Scott Arruda (MVP in 2001) then joined by
Here are more accolades and accomplishments by Logan at subsequent World Grand Prix tournaments.
Fun Fact about Logan Tom
Did you know that..
Logan Tom was named Player of the Century when the Pac 12 Conference named their Pac 12 Team of the Century Women's Volleyball Team.
International Hall of Fame
In October 2021, Logan Tom achieved a significant milestone in her career when she was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, a well-deserved recognition for her outstanding contributions to the sport.
Head coach, Israeli Womens National Team
In May 2021, Tom was appointed as the new Israeli Womens National team head coach.
Logan Tom was recently named head of International Player Development for Real Pro Volleyball.
"Logan Tom serves as Real Pro Volleyball Federation’s Director of International Development & Player Strategy.
As per their website:
In her role
-Real Pro Volleyball
Sources:
Keep following ImproveYourVolley.com, your ultimate volleyball fan resource, for more captivating insights into the profiles of other professional volleyball players.
Don't forget to share this article with fellow volleyball enthusiasts who will appreciate the remarkable journey of Logan Tom, a true inspiration in the world of volleyball.
Follow me on Pinterest Volleybragswag to improve your game even faster!
I share alot of individual, partner and easy-to-do volleyball serving drills we do in class with my followers.
Many of these volleyball practice drills you can do at home by yourself or try at your next practice with your teammates.
If you're a B team or JV player trying to make varsity next year...your goal should be to complete 1000 reps a day of at least three of the basic skills on your own...volleyball passing, serving and setting should be at the top of the list.
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