Whether playing at the high school level or representing the United States, senior Tessa Larkin ‘27 steps onto the court with the same positive and hard-working attitude that has helped her advance so far.
After playing on Xavier’s varsity volleyball team for three years, Larkin helped the USA Women’s U23 team bring home gold at the 2026 Pan American Cup as a rising senior.
Larkin has been working toward opportunities with the USA team since she was 13. Since then, she has learned about USA volleyball programs, how the teams operate, the coaches and the community surrounding the program.
Her years of preparation eventually led to the opportunity to compete with the U23 team, placing her with some of the strongest volleyball players in the country.
Competing internationally required Larkin to adjust to a new team, new coaches and a high level of competition. The experience challenged her to adjust quickly while contributing to the team’s success.
Larkin did more than just contribute. As the team’s outside hitter, she finished the tournament with a total of 66 points including 51 kills, 10 blocks and five service aces, helping the United States to finish the tournament undefeated and to take home the gold medal.
At the end of the tournament, Larkin was named the most valuable player and the best receiver award. This was remarkable because she was able to win such prestigious awards while playing with women older than she.
Xavier’s head varsity coach Lamar-Renee Bryant reported that Larkin received more than 80% of her passes in system, stating that, “Most outside hitters sometimes are very dynamic, but the fact that her ball control and her defense were so precise made her stand out.”
Her success on the national team adds to her list of accomplishments. A 6-foot-2 outside hitter who plays for Arizona Storm as well as for Xavier, Larkin was named the 2025-26 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year and is ranked as the No. 5 recruit in the nation for her class.
Larkin has committed to Stanford University to continue her volleyball career.
With the high pressure environments Larkin faces, and the non-stop speed at which her career is moving, she has to find ways to stay motivated without allowing the pressure of volleyball to steal the enjoyment.
“It comes to a point where you should enjoy what you are doing,” Larkin said. “And I think that just finding that joy and finding why I do it were my main motivations.”
This mindset has allowed Larkin to continue competing at a high level without losing the excitement which first led her to begin playing. Rather than allowing expectations to control how she looks at the game, she focuses on enjoying the opportunities that years of work have created for her.
Larkin’s experience with Team USA also brings national-level experience back to Xavier’s volleyball program. As one of the team’s senior players, she can bring what she has learned from competing internationally into practices, games and the way she approaches leadership on the court.
Larkin is a team captain while also being the only senior on the Xavier team. This means she has to help her younger teammates through the year while also balancing her own volleyball career.
Her success gives younger Xavier players an example of how far high school volleyball can go. From competing for Xavier to representing the United States, Larkin’s accomplishments have placed both her and the school’s volleyball team onto a larger stage.
“She is up for the challenge and anything we put in front of her. She is ready to tackle and challenge it,” Xavier’s assistant coach Jamie Itule said.
Her gold medal, MVP and best receiver awards show how far that approach has taken her. As Larkin finishes her senior year at Xavier and prepares to continue her career at Stanford, her experience with the USA gives her more opportunities to continue growing and expanding.
