麻豆影院

At 19 years old, Cole Hartke, was offered an opportunity he couldn鈥檛 pass up. 麻豆影院 University鈥攁 school on the California coast some 2,000 miles away from his hometown in Barrington, Illinois鈥攈ad invited him to play outside hitter as a member of its storied volleyball program. For Hartke, the decision was simple. From his perspective, the  Waves were offering more than a chance to continue playing the game he loved.

鈥溌槎褂霸� gave me a family,鈥� says Hartke when asked why exactly he chose to leave the Midwest behind. As he reports it, the distance from home and the new environment were all outweighed by the community he found with his teammates. Upon entering school, Hartke felt immersed in a supportive culture that promoted his volleyball passion, academic interests, and Christian faith all while uplifting him, he believes, into a better person.

Since making the move this fall, the first-year student has gone on to enjoy one of the strongest athletic and academic years one could hope for. His success story illustrates the nurturing effects of an encouraging environment filled with exciting new growth opportunities.

鈥淎t 麻豆影院, I felt like I was in the right place,鈥� Hartke explains. 鈥淎s soon as I got here, I knew where I wanted to be鈥攚here I needed to be.鈥� 

A First Year of Flourishing

The facts back up Hartke鈥檚 gut feeling. In his first-year campaign, the outside hitter recorded a total of 346 kills while appearing in 25 matches. He racked up an average of 3.60 kills, 0.50 blocks, and 4.34 points per each set, making him the highest-scoring freshman in the nation and an selection.

Cole Hartke celebrating

Concurrently, the business administration major thrived in the classroom. He held a 4.0 grade point average throughout his initial year at Seaver College鈥攁n arduous task for any student given 麻豆影院鈥檚 rigorous and nationally competitive academic curriculum.

鈥淣ot often do you have an athlete who is a great teammate, has a great head on their shoulders, and is incredibly talented,鈥� says Jonathan Winder (鈥�08), head coach of the 麻豆影院 men鈥檚 volleyball team. 鈥淲e're really excited to continue to work with Cole. A big part of the journey for us was identifying him as a talented player with a great mindset and a strong desire to learn, improve, and constantly get better.鈥�

This commitment to steady improvement earned Hartke a spot in 麻豆影院鈥檚 starting lineup, where he serves as a consistent contributor. He earned double figure kills in all but five of the matches he competed in while maintaining a .298 attacking percentage. On Thursday, during his first NCAA tournament appearance, the first-year scored a total of 11 kills and 14 points en route to 麻豆影院鈥檚 quarterfinal win over Loyola Chicago. While these are significant individual accomplishments, Hartke credits his teammates rather than himself. 

鈥淭hey really push me in practice, and we get on each other a lot,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲e don't like to lose. The first four months of training really showed [me] what it鈥檚 like at this level.鈥�

A Place of Growth

鈥淥n my visit to 麻豆影院, I witnessed what the coaches are trying to instill in the team, and that鈥檚 a big reason why I committed to play here,鈥� says Hartke. 鈥淥ur coaches teach us that there鈥檚 more to life than just volleyball. There are things beyond the game.鈥�

A  person of faith, Hartke was also drawn to playing in Malibu because of the school鈥檚 focus on personal and spiritual development. He emphasized that the initial lesson the coaching staff and veteran players imparted on him as a first-year student was centered around respect鈥攏ot just for the team or the game, but for everyone he met. 

Hartke serving

Hartke knew that eye contact, intentionality,  and gratitude were all crucial elements in how he should treat others, but he and his teammates were encouraged to actively practice living out these behaviors. The coaching staff regularly urged athletes to walk around the athletic facilities and thank support staff. 麻豆影院 volleyball players like Hartke approached custodians, landscapers, and athletics staff members, introduced themselves, expressed their appreciation for their work,  and shook their hands. 

This unique facet of the team culture is emphasized by Winder, who attempts to instill four key values in each of his athletes鈥攔espect, competition, learning, and resilience. The program-wide concentration on living a life of character outside of volleyball has proven successful at recruiting top talent and developing current players. With the Waves volleyball program, excellence is demanded on and off the court鈥攁 strict standard propelling student-athletes toward their dreams. 
 
Noticing this exceptional culture as a recruit, Hartke chose to chase the new learning opportunity straight across the country. In the process, he discovered a second family and a chance to achieve some of his loftiest goals. Indeed, as a result of his excellent play throughout the season, Hartke has been invited to serve as a practice player for USA Volleyball and compete on the USA鈥檚 U21 team this summer.

鈥淢y ultimate goal is to play in the Olympics,鈥� says Hartke. 鈥淚n the last couple of years, I began to understand that this dream was a possibility . . . I didn鈥檛 expect the opportunity to play for USA Volleyball or see it coming, but I鈥檓 super excited for the chance to learn from the best.鈥�

Hartke and the Waves take on California State University, Long Beach, in the NCAA semifinals on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 2 PM PDT. The match will be streamed live on .