How High Can You Jump? Larian Tulloch Answers That and More After Best Outside Hitter award in Tortola 🇩🇲🏐
For Larian Tulloch, the answer is about 41 inches, and at the ECVA 2026 Men and Women Volleyball Championship in Tortola, BVI, he used every one of them. Tulloch soared his way to the tournament's Best Outside Hitter award, putting Dominica's name among the region's best. Not bad for a player who taught himself the game with his cousins after school, without a coach.
We spoke with Larian after the championship about where it all started, what has changed, and what comes next.
Take us back to the beginning. Where did you grow up, how old were you when you first touched a volleyball, and who got you into the game?
I grew up in the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. I first became interested in volleyball in my last year of high school. I was 16, and at first it was just something fun to do, playing with my cousins after school.
My cousins and I decided to form a team for the school league that final year. We never had a coach, so we trained ourselves. That was the only way to make it happen. We made it all the way to the finals but lost, and after feeling the way I felt, I realised I had a lot of passion for the sport. What started as fun became something I wanted to take seriously and become great at.
How many years have you been playing now, and what has changed most between that young player and the one who just won Best Outside Hitter in Tortola?
I've been playing for six years. I was self-taught for the first few, and I only started to really improve once I began proper training and played in my first senior league in 2024. The biggest difference is my mindset.
When I was younger, I just wanted to play and enjoy myself. Now I understand the discipline, sacrifice, consistency and mental strength it takes to perform at a high level. I've learned how to deal with pressure, how to trust myself, and how to stay focused even when things aren't going my way.
Winning Best Outside Hitter shows me how much I've grown, but I still feel like that young player who just loves volleyball. I'm just a more experienced version of him now.
Let's settle this for the fans: do you know how high you can jump? What's your best vertical or highest touch, and has anyone on the team ever out-jumped you? 😄
😂 I definitely know I can get up there. My best vertical is around 41 inches.
As for somebody on the team out-jumping me... I'm not going to lie, there are some guys who can definitely challenge me. But I'm always going to back myself when it comes to getting above the net.
At the end of the day, volleyball isn't only about who jumps the highest. Timing, technique, reading the game and knowing how to use your athleticism are just as important.
What does being named Best Outside Hitter at the ECVA 2026 Championship mean to you personally, and to your family and community back home in Dominica?
It means a lot, because it's not just an individual award. I see it as a reflection of all the work, the sacrifices, the setbacks, and the people who helped me get to this point.
Representing Dominica and coming away with an award like this makes me extremely proud. I know there were people back home watching, supporting and believing in me, so making them proud means even more than the award itself.
I also hope it shows young athletes back home that you can come from a small island, work hard, believe in yourself and still compete at a high level. This is something I want to build on, not something I want to be satisfied with.
What's next for Larian Tulloch, and what advice would you give a young Dominican who dreams of standing where you stood in the BVI?
What's next is simple: keep working. I want to keep developing every part of my game, get stronger mentally and physically, compete at higher levels, and see how far volleyball can take me.
To any young Dominican with that dream: believe in yourself before anybody else does. Don't be afraid to start small, don't compare your journey to somebody else's, and don't let setbacks convince you that you aren't good enough.
Stay disciplined, listen to your coaches, respect the game and, most importantly, enjoy the process. There will be days when you're frustrated and days when you question yourself, but those are the moments that make you better.
I'm still chasing my own goals too. Best Outside Hitter is a great achievement, but for me it's motivation to keep going and see what I can accomplish next. 🇩🇲🏐
Congratulations, Larian, on flying Dominica's flag high in Tortola!
