ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Griffin Monrad has witnessed a great deal of growth in his three seasons as a member of the Roberts Wesleyan University men's volleyball team.
Monrad, a junior from Webster, N.Y., arrived at Roberts in 2024, the first season that the Redhawks fielded a team and has played an integral role in the program's development.
Monrad played in each of the Redhawks' 24 matches his freshman year and earned All-East Coast Conference honors. The opposite hitter played in 31 matches as a sophomore and was recognized as the ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Elite 20 Award winner while earning Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators.
Monrad has appeared in all nine matches for the Redhawks this season, contributing 28 kills, 9 digs, 8 blocks and 4 aces as Roberts posted a 4-5 record in January. The Redhawks played three Division I opponents – Hawaii, Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania – going 2-4 in six those matches.
Monrad, a dual major in Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences, also continues to excel in the classroom with a 3.93 GPA and has been named the Roberts Wesleyan University Male Scholar Athlete of the Month for January. He is also a dual-sport athlete, having joined Roberts' E-Sports team as a member of its Rocket League squad.
Monrad, who hopes to become an actuary, enjoys playing cards and board games in his spare time.
Monrad took a few moments to share his thoughts on being a student-athlete at Roberts. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What has the growth of this program been like since you arrived on campus?
"It's been fun. Freshman year, we had a great group of guys, transfers, and new people, that was amazing, but we were a smaller team. Sophomore year, we got nine or 10 new guys and that was great. We got size, they were all amazing. That was a huge thing. This year we got four amazing guys, and they're some of the greatest people you'll ever meet, that's been amazing too, because I love all four of them. I think the people on the team are the greatest thing to see evolve and grow."
How have things grown in terms of play on the court?
"The success we've had this year has been great. Going into the year, we said we wanted to beat a Division I team, we wanted to win the ECCs, we wanted to be above .500 and we had a few other goals. Starting to check off the boxes has been amazing. Everyone's been working so hard in practices and just seeing the quality of talent has been great. Everyone's grown a ton since six months ago. It's nice that we've all set our sights high."
How has your role changed from an incoming freshman to now one of a junior that's been around since the beginning?
"I know a lot more now. A big thing that I do, which is kind of funny, is knowing how to set up the nets because the new guys who come in don't know about the nets, and the tradition and routines that we have. It's a big thing to help the people coming in know what to do, how we do it, and that kind of stuff."
The team traveled to Hawaii to play the third-ranked Division I team in the nation earlier this season. What was that experience like?
"That was great. Going in, we wanted to fight them as hard as we can, get as much as we can. We got close every set. We played really strong and that was a positive. The other positive was getting to be in Hawaii. Oh, that was great. It was a team bonding experience on top of playing because we got to do many things there, including going to a luau."
What was your favorite thing that you did away from the volleyball court on that trip?
"It's probably that luau, that was very fun. They brought the whole team onto the stage, we all did a dance together. If not that, just walking around together. We walked a lot of places to get food and stuff and that was fun."
What's your background with gaming?
"I played a lot of Rocket League when I was young. I thought that was fun. I didn't play too much of it, then I came to college and heard we had a Rocket League team and started playing a little bit with Hayden (Kiehl), who played the very first year we had an eSports team. We played together, then he kind of brought me in and was like, you should play on the team since we already played together. Then he got me back into the game."
How would you describe your experience at Roberts so far?
"Amazing. I think the biggest thing for me is the people. I've met my closest friends here. The teachers are great, the staff is great, the students are great, and that's the biggest positive for me."
What does being a Redhawk mean to you?
"That's a good question. I think it's a three-way thing in my head. It's being a student, it's showing religious values, because I do come from a religious family, and it's being an overall positive person. Being a student-athlete is a big part of my time here at Roberts, so it's putting your best foot forward in every athletic context and even non-athletic contexts, and just doing the best that you possibly can."
