Back in 2019, Will Sorenson’s seasonal soundtrack was the squeaking of sneakers across the Sports Center hardwood, the soft thump of forearms colliding with leather, and the communal roar erupting after a spike. Just one year later, there was silence. 

While Sorenson, now playing at Harvard, enjoyed the competition of each game, most of his most memorable moments were what took place off the court. What resonated most wasn’t his 603 assists during his senior season, but rather the people he met along the way. 

“Passing your teammates in the hallways, building friendships, and getting to know each other were all special parts about playing at Stevenson because you have this common shared interest,” Sorenson said.

In college, Sorenson’s activity on the court has been limited. Even though he has played in the Ivy League for close to two and a half years, he has yet to experience a full season.

“I’ve actually only played seven games during my entire time at Harvard,” Sorenson said. “It’s definitely atypical that I’m a junior and I’ve only been able to play a third of your average volleyball season.” 

After being ordered off of campus in March of 2020 as a result of the pandemic, the rest of Soreson’s freshman year on the volleyball team was canceled. Twelve months later, Sorenson prepared with his team to begin what would’ve been his sophomore year season before the Ivy League declared that no sports were to occur during the rest of the year.

Despite this, Sorenson has maintained his participation on the team, even if it’s off the court. According to Sorenson, this around-the-clock season is what makes the college athletic experience unique. 

“Aside from the fact that it’s a higher level of play, it’s a much larger commitment in college,” Sorenson said. “Now it’s worked into your daily schedule, whereas in high school you only have practices after school for maybe two months. We have an off-season, a pre-season and a regular season, so we practice everyday, lift everyday.”  

With the long hours of commitment and effort he puts into his sport, Sorenson takes note of the community he has built when playing volleyball at Harvard. Even through the ongoing pandemic, this has been an element of athletics that followed him since high school. 

“The thing that I love the most about volleyball is it’s a team sport,” Sorenson said. “There are three touches on each side of the net so not one person can take control over the entire [game]. By the nature of the sport, you’re forced to work with the people on your team, and everyone takes part in that.”