On a team of heavy hitters, junior volleyball player Trayce Chrusfield stands out.
At press time, Oak Park and River Forest High School’s team is ranked no. 1 in the state and no. 38 in the nation, with a record of 24-5-1, according to MaxPreps. An outside hitter for the Huskies, Chrusfield gained national recognition when he was selected to the 2026 U19 Men’s National Volleyball Roster. He is currently training with the national team in Anaheim, Calif., and will compete on the international level in Canada in Burnaby, British Columbia from May 10 to May 18.
Trapeze sat down with Chrusfield to find out more about how national team competition is going. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Adrian Bondartsov: First question: Where did you find out you made the squad? What was your reaction? Who did you call first?
Trayce Chrusfield: I found out I made the squad about two days after a national team development program, which was like a training series. And then they picked from there. I was in Pete’s [Fresh Market] with my mom, which was pretty cool. I hugged my mom then, and it was really nice to see it all work out. I didn’t really call anybody. I had to keep it a secret.
AB: What does the national team camp look like day to day?
TC: We wake up at 6:15, depending on the day. There’s one day where you don’t have morning practice, but the days you have morning practice, you wake up at 6:15. You eat breakfast until about 7, then do serving and passing for about two hours. After that, you can go back to the hotel, do study table if you need to, and then you go back for a three-hour practice. Usually they end at 4:30. Then you have the rest of the day to yourself. So, yeah, it’s kind of nice, but it’s definitely tiring.
AB: I know you have playoffs coming up right when you get back. Do you think this experience is going to take you to the next level in the playoffs?
TC: I mean, of course. I feel like I’m already there. I was already at that level, but it’s only going to make me better because at the international games, you’re playing against different countries, so they have different things that you’ve never seen before. It made me very uncomfortable at first. But when you go back home and are in a comfortable area, then it’s way easier for sure.
AB: OPRF is having a good season. What have you enjoyed most about playing on that team with those guys and about this year in general?
TC: I’ve just enjoyed the people. I think I’m great friends with everybody on that team. After every game, I could go to somebody’s house and party or have fun. We’re just always talking. Even with Coach [Justin] Cousin and Coach Izzy [Isaiah Kibir], we have great relationships, and with the managers too. They sometimes come to cookouts. So it’s relationships with other people, that’s for sure.
AB: You mentioned the study table. What are you doing for OPRF classes over there? How are you keeping up?
TC: There are distinct periods when you can do the study table, usually in between practices, and you can study whenever, it doesn’t even have to be at the study table. We have a place in the lobby downstairs where you can go and study, but you can also study in your room. I know I have a good amount of AP classes, so I have to stay on top of that for sure.
AB: What is your plan for the next level? Do you plan on playing in college and beyond?
TC: Yeah, I do. I’m just waiting for the best opportunity. I’m not committing right now. It’ll probably happen somewhere after the club season.
AB: What brought you to volleyball in the first place? What made you start playing?
TC: My mom and dad used to play. Not at a college or high school, but just for grass tournaments. When I was young, I liked basketball a lot more at the time. But I played volleyball for my 10th birthday, and I thought it was pretty cool. I played on grass with my friends and family—that was really nice. Then I wanted to try it out for the actual club team.
AB: In middle school?
TC: Yeah, at about 12 or 13 years old. I went to a very small school. I moved in middle school to Oak Park. Initially I was at Mitchell Elementary, but then I went to GEMS for middle school, which is in downtown Chicago. They didn’t really have a good volleyball team at all, but I still played there.
AB: What personal characteristics do you value? What do you want people to remember about you in five years?
TC: I mean, I feel like this is niche, but just being the best version of myself and trying not to let others define who I am. I know there’s a lot of feelings about what I wear, not just for volleyball, but in general what I wear. So, it’s just being myself and not letting other people get into my zones in my comfort space. If I let them, then it’s not very good for the brain, and it makes you overthink everything.
