Senior outside hitter Tori Janowski has a chance to leave the University one of the school’s best volleyball players in the past decade — but her aim isn’t to climb the ranks with impressive statistics. It’s to lead the Cavaliers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in more than 10 years.
“My goal is to definitely make it to the NCAA tournament this year,” Janowski said. “That’s been my goal coming in as a freshman, and we’ve never reached it. This is now or never for me, so I would really love to get it this year, and I think this year we have a better chance than any year to get into the tournament, so I want to do it for sure.”
In 1999 — the last time the Cavaliers made the NCAA tournament — Janowski was only seven years old. Even then, though, volleyball was a major part of her life.
“My dad played professionally in Poland, and volleyball has just always been there,” Janowski said. “I would go to my dad's rec games when I was younger. Then, he let me play with him a little. He coached all of my teams, and I fell in love with it. There was never a question of whether or not I would play volleyball.”
Sure in her desire to play at the collegiate level, Janowski was then faced with the task of choosing a school.
“I never wanted to come to U.Va. until I came on a visit my junior year,” she said. “When I came, I fell in love with it. This was the place I needed to be. I think the choice was definitely both academic and athletic.”
Janowski came into Virginia as one of the best players in the country, named an All-American by Prep Volleyball as a junior and senior and the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year for volleyball in 2011.
As a freshman, she played in all but four games of the 30-game season, starting in half. In the 26 matches played, Janowski was able to reach double-digit kills nine times. That year, the Cavaliers went 10-20, and wouldn’t improve their record until Janowski’s junior season.
Janowski became a full-time starter as a dual setter and hitter during her sophomore year, where the team went 8-23 in current coach Dennis Hohenshelt’s first season. In the middle of the season, Janowski became the team’s full-time setter. As a dual player, she set career-highs in the number of assists, digs and kills in a game, also becoming the first Cavalier since 2000 to hit a triple-double, which she did twice that season.
During Janowski’s junior year, the team had its first winning season since 2008, totaling 18 wins and 14 losses, and Janowski had her best season as an outside hitter. She led the team in service aces and kills, recording double-digit kills in all but two of the 32 matches she started. She hit a total of 462 kills, the eighth-most in a single season in school history. At year’s end, she was named to the All-ACC Third Team after averaging 3.61 kills per set — fifth best in the conference.
After starting the season 6-0, the Cavaliers are currently 9-6 but undefeated in the ACC. Janowski currently leads the team in service aces and kills.
“I definitely think this season is my favorite so far,” Janowski said. “We have a lot of potential this season and all of us are working hard to reach up to that potential. I’m also really excited to see what this season has in store. I love the people that I’m playing with. I love being in the gym with them every day.”
Janowski is currently 12th on Virginia's all-time kills list with 1,023 kills after posting two double-digit kills games last weekend. In 2014, she is averaging 3.16 kills per set, and is on-track to crack the top 10 before the season is finished.
“I’ve never really thought about the records,” Janowski said. “Just having good hitting percentage and having high number of kills is definitely going to help my team, so that’s really all I’m focusing on.”
Janowski's coaches said they are impressed with the way she has performed and improved on and off the court in her time at Virginia.
“I’m very excited about what Tori has grown into as a volleyball player,” Hohenshelt said. “She has worked hard to become a better all-around player and to help the team in any way possible. For her to reach a 1,000 kills is a great achievement, and I hope she continues her impressive play as we progress into ACC play.”
Off the court, Janowski, an English major who is looking into jobs in marketing and management, is thinking about plans after graduation — which she said may or may not involve volleyball.
“Professional volleyball’s definitely a possibility,” Janowski said. “I would love to live abroad for a year, but I’m also looking into grad school opportunities, so I don’t know what’s next for me.”
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