麻豆传媒

Ryan Barnett was nervous. It was the middle of the volleyball season, and just beyond the locker room, the outside hitter knew the roaring crowd inside Pauley Pavilion was ready for the match to begin: 麻豆传媒 versus the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)鈥攁 premier top 25 NCAA matchup. Barnett expected that the contest would demand his best, but he couldn鈥檛 shake the butterflies swarming in his stomach. 

Ryan Barnett zeroing in on a spike

Lost in a cloud of doubt, the redshirt junior and team co-captain turned to Mark 4:40, in which Jesus calms the stormy waters and asks his disciples, 鈥淲hy are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?鈥� These questions resonated deeply with the nervous Waves volleyball player.

鈥淭hat passage taught me that I can be nervous before a match, but once I step on the court it鈥檚 just joy,鈥� says Barnett. 鈥淚鈥檓 playing the sport that I love . . . and [I can] surrender the outcome.鈥�

Since embracing this perspective, Barnett has unlocked new dimensions in his game. Playing with renewed freedom, he has propelled 麻豆传媒 to a 20-9 record, culminating in the team鈥檚 seventh Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament title (where the Waves defeated the Bruins in the semifinal) this April, and a berth in the NCAA Championships. After fighting fear with faith in the locker room at Pauley Pavilion, Barnett has realized his true potential as both an athlete and a leader.

Athletic Excellence

鈥淪urreal鈥� is the word Barnett uses to describe the last three weeks of the 2025 volleyball season. During the final 10-game stretch, the six-foot-five outside hitter recorded 167 kills at a 0.340 attack percentage. Notably, in the MPFS conference tournament, he hammered home 44 kills against the second- and the fifth-ranked teams in the nation (UCLA and the University of Southern California, respectively) to propel the Waves into the NCAA tournament they鈥檙e competing in this week in Columbus, Ohio. 

Barnett mid serve

This exceptional play solidified an already strong year for Barnett, who ranks in the top 25 nationally for aces per set, hitting percentage, kills per set, and points per set. On Monday, May 4, these accomplishments earned him recognition as a 鈥攁n honor he did not anticipate receiving.

鈥淚鈥檝e never really been 鈥榯he guy鈥� playing volleyball,鈥� Barnett explains. 鈥淚鈥檓 just so grateful, happy, and joyful to go along with this [recent] ride. I really don鈥檛 know how to put it into words.鈥�

The 鈥渞ide,鈥� as Barnett refers to it, is the culmination of a four-year process grounded in hard work. After redshirting his first year, the outside hitter began to rebuild the physical components of his game. He focused on eating well and added extra weight to his training routine. The goal, he claims, was to treat his body like a 鈥渕achine.鈥� Despite the hard work, the junior was not in the starting lineup at the beginning of this season. However, this setback did not deter him from staying the course and keeping the faith.

鈥淩yan Barnett has been fantastic this season,鈥� says Jonathan Winder (鈥�08), head coach of the 麻豆传媒 men鈥檚 volleyball team, who, as a setter on the same team he now leads, was a four-time All-American, a 2005 NCAA champion, and the 2007 AVCA National Player of the Year. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been great about responding to challenges and difficult conversations over the last couple of years. It hasn鈥檛 been an easy journey. Nothing has been given to him. Ryan had to earn his way to where he is today.鈥�

Barnett鈥檚 rise from role player to a First-Team All-American is a testament to his perseverance and unwavering dedication. While his path toward the top might have been unexpected given his late addition to the starting lineup, the motivations that spurred him forward highlight his enduring commitment to athletic excellence.

Barnett celebrating the Waves NCAA title berth

鈥淚 want to win, and I want to be the best,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut beyond that I want to keep playing with the guys鈥攎y teammates. That鈥檚 the beauty of a team sport . . . On the days we鈥檙e not feeling it mentally or physically, or if something happens in school, we have each other to lean on.鈥�

By focusing on the things that meant the most to him鈥攁 high personal standard and the camaraderie of his teammates鈥擝arnett has grown into one of the nation鈥檚 best collegiate volleyball athletes and the leader of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 nationally ranked squad.

Learning to Lead

鈥淲hen Coach Winder told Gabe [Dyer] and me that we would be team captains going into this year, my only goal was to be a good leader,鈥� Barnett explains. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 focused on having all these accolades or even playing. I was fine being a bench player, but I was going to take these guys under my wing and show them the way.鈥� 

This confidence was not a natural part of Barnett鈥檚 personality. He explains that leadership is a skill he developed at 麻豆传媒 through the mentorship of his athletic coaches and professors. By leaning on wisdom from Coach Winder and professor Ned Colletti, former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, he gained the maturity needed to support his teammates. 

Barnett celebrating the Waves NCAA Title berth

鈥淩yan Barnett has been not only a big inspiration but a huge help during the season,鈥� says Cole Hartke, a 麻豆传媒 first year who has made an immediate impact on the Waves volleyball team as the nation鈥檚 leading freshman scorer. 鈥淒uring the first few weeks of practice, he pulled me aside and told me 鈥業t鈥檚 not going to be easy. There will be ups and downs.鈥� There have been, and Ryan has been with me through all that.鈥�

Harnessing his strong play and confidence, Barnett has succeeded in leading the Waves to their current position as the sixth-ranked team in the nation with a real chance of winning the NCAA title. At this point in his career鈥攚here faith is fueling his sense of freedom on the court and the joy with which he competes鈥斅槎勾�媒鈥檚 outside hitter can look back on his trials and triumphs and feel a sense of contentment.

鈥淭he journey is everything,鈥� says Barnett. 鈥淩eflecting on the journey, now, is better than winning in and of itself.鈥�

Barnett and the Waves take on Loyola Chicago in the NCAA quarterfinals on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 4:30 PM PDT. The match will be streamed live on .