On February 4, Garrett Turnbull signed his National Letter of Intent to continue playing men’s volleyball at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. He will be playing Division III volleyball as a defensive specialist (DS)/libero and will be entering the school as a member of the Class of 2030.
Turnbull currently plays at Maryland Juniors Volleyball Club but began playing volleyball when he was 14 at Frederick Volleyball Club before being quickly moved up to a higher age division. He describes the experience as “very imposing, … but helpful when moving into the customs of volleyball.”
Lingnore High School (LHS) does not currently have a boys volleyball team, despite previous efforts to begin one. For that reason, Turnbull has instead been helping as a manager for the Linganore’s girls volleyball team for his junior and senior seasons.
LHS girls varsity volleyball coach Andrea Poffinberger has seen him show up consistently to practices and games to help the volleyball team improve their defense, based on personal experience. She has also seen him competitively play in Linganore volleyball classes.
“Although I have not coached Garrett directly … it is clear he is absolutely the most tenacious person out there,” Poffinberger said. “He will out hustle you and track balls down that others would just give up on … [and] it’s nice to have his input, or be able to use him at practice … he brings energy to the slideline when he gets pumped and into the game.”
His effort on and off the court has not gone unnoticed. When Roanoke College contacted him through recruiting apps, he visited the school and met the team. He worked well with the coaches, fit in with the team and loved the facilities.
“The team was super welcoming, and they’re all a big family,” Turnbull said. “I just immediately fell in love with the school.”
Inspired by his brother, who is also a college athlete, he decided to commit to Roanoke College with a plan to major in Biology and a hope to study abroad.
His mother, Christy Turnbull, shared that her son is “so ready for college,” and for the next step in his academics. She also describes his growth as an athlete as one of his defining characteristics.
“He plays that leadership role on the court with his teammates,” Christy Turnbull said. “He has gained a little bit more confidence, as has come a little more out of his shell. He is more of a team player and [he has become] a leader.”
That same leadership has been witnessed by Poffinberger. She believes commitment to improving as a libero has been unmatched and reflects his discipline off the court as a student.
“He works hard at fine-tuning the libero position, and even harder as a student athlete, which I see daily with his courseload.” Poffinberger said. To Turnbull, she said: “I’m proud of you for all your accomplishments, and I wish you all the best at Roanoke. Good luck with everything.”
