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Andrew Cranford, John Carroll, volleyball

Nov 13

Andrew Cranford, John Carroll, volleyball The late-blooming and stellar volleyball career of John Carroll grad Andrew Cranford began with a watchful eye and a positive push.

A three-sport athlete who grew up taking turns among soccer, basketball and lacrosse, Cranford was unexpectedly cut from the soccer team in 2002, his sophomore year. It opened the door for volleyball, a sport he had never played until he stepped onto the court in his junior year.

Cranford, a 6-foot-5 middle hitter, went on to enjoy a stellar four-year career at Stevens Institute of Technology before getting a taste of professional volleyball in Germany, from which he recently returned after a month with a team in Rottenburg.

At Stevens, he was the Division III National Newcomer of the Year as a freshman in 2005 and the National Player of the Year as a senior in 2008. He earned All-America honors three years.

Imagine going from never having played a sport to making Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” a couple of years later.

“One morning I went from sleeping to my coach calling me to tell me I had to get my photo taken for ‘Faces in the Crowd,’ ” said Cranford, now 22, who earned the recognition for his fine freshman season. “I was kind of confused, and it was kind of the same emotion through my freshman year going from not expecting much to receiving all these awards.” continue reading…

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