Senior Charlie Beckman didn't come to Tufts to play volleyball, but that hasn't stopped him from proving to his club volleyball teammates and to his opponents that he is one of the best setters in the New England Collegiate Volleyball League (NECVL).
"He is one of the best setters in New England if not the nation," senior captain Adam Goldfarb said. "Setters aren't usually the biggest guys, but Beckman's pretty big. He's also a consistent player and rarely makes mistakes."
Growing up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Beckman didn't start playing volleyball until he joined his junior high school team. An all-around athlete, he also played soccer, basketball, and baseball. In high school Beckman continued to play all these sports except baseball, which conflicted with volleyball.
"Baseball and volleyball were in the same season," Beckman said. "I decided to play volleyball because I enjoyed it more."
Beckman remained on the junior varsity squad for his freshman and sophomore years before moving up to the dominant varsity squad for his final two seasons. During his four years in high school, the varsity team only lost one game, in the state finals against Cambridge Latin his junior year. But the next year, with Beckman as their captain, the Whalers completed a perfect season beating Cambridge Latin in the finals.
"We lost in the finals my junior year which was tough, but we beat them pretty badly the next year," Beckman said.
Landing spots on the All-State high school team two years in a row and earning the Standard Times Player of the Year status his senior year, Beckman came to Tufts to pursue a mathematics major and economics minor.
"There are not a lot of schools out there for volleyball," Beckman said. "I kind of knew Tufts had a club volleyball team but, I came here for the academics."
He went out for the club spot his freshman year not knowing what to expect.
"I wasn't aware of the situation," Beckman said. "I was a big difference and a lot more relaxed."
Coming from a rigid commitment and serious competitive atmosphere, the club sport proved to be a slight change during his freshman year. Things, however, have gotten more competitive for Beckman and for the Jumbos. During his sophomore year the team went to the New England regionals in Maryland. And last season the squad placed 9th at the Nationals in Reno, Nevada.
"We had a strong team last year," Beckman said. "This year looks pretty good and we hope to do better this year at the Nationals in Kansas City."
Last summer, Beckman played beach volleyball for a local league in Massachusetts. During the fall, while weight training for the upcoming season, he suffered an unfortunate shoulder injury.
"I had to sit out for two and a half months, but I'm feeling better now. It still bothers me sometimes but it hasn't stopped me from playing," He said.
Weak shoulder and all, Beckman played solidly in the preseason tournament at MIT in December. He also led the team to 4-0 mark this past weekend, as the Jumbos topped a tough Boston University squad.
"BU was the team we wanted to beat," Beckman said. "They tied us for third in the MIT tournament, but we beat them pretty well this time."
Beckman hopes to lead the team to victory at New Englands again this year. The tournament is held at the University of New Hampshire during the first week of April and pits the six best teams in the league against each other. He also hopes to add to the team's prestige by helping them finish higher at the National Championships in Kansas City, MO.
"Both years we were a little better than we played and this year we need to show that," Beckman said.
Beckman has his sights set on graduation and on finishing his classes. After college he plans to continue playing volleyball in local leagues and tournaments. For now and for the rest of the season, Beckman will remain an integral part Tufts' club team.
"[Beckman] is very much a leader on the court," Adam Goldfarb said. "The team really looks up to him."
