Renaissance Man Fills in for Crimson

As the Harvard campus welcomes an influx of newly admitted students for Pre-Frosh weekend, many high school seniors will probably be wondering how to balance their interests and manage their time in college. These students should take a lesson from freshman middle blocker Paul Glootz.

Glootz is a man of many talents. The native of Stassfurt, Germany is dedicated to his studies, committed to playing the piano, and boasts national titles in both the accordion and in the building of water rockets. In addition to all of this, Glootz walked on to the men’s volleyball team this fall and worked his way to a starting spot, despite injuries to both ankles early in the season.

“Paul came in as a freshman walk-on, and we really didn’t know what to expect from him in terms of his skill and dedication,” co-captain Gil Weintraub said. “We’ve been nothing but impressed in terms of his qualities as a person and a volleyball player and his determination to get better.”

Glootz dominated the middle of the court this season, playing in 13 of the Crimson’s 21 matches after recovering from his injury.

“[During] J-term practice, we had a scrimmage and I [badly sprained] both ankles,” Glootz said. “I did a lot of physical therapy and was out for about seven weeks. So for me, the season really started in the last third.”

Averaging 0.53 kills per set, Glootz recorded a total of 25 kills and 27 digs on the year. He ranked fourth on the team in blocks, with 40 total and an average of 0.85 blocks per set.

Clearly, Glootz’s teammates appreciated his impact. But, just one year ago, the rookie would not have even seen himself on the volleyball court at Harvard. In fact, he only picked up the sport in high school.

“I didn’t expect to be able to play any college-level sports, but I started playing volleyball in 2007,” Glootz noted. “Back home in Germany, I was on a club team...and I thought it was a lot of fun. I tried out crew for the first three weeks [this fall] but then switched from crew to volleyball.”

Though his knack for blocking and killing the volleyball are recent discoveries, Glootz developed a love for music at a young age. He admits that the piano is his primary instrument, but he took his love of the accordion to a high level, winning a U-17 national title in the instrument at a ripe age of 14.

“Right now I just take it out for fun,” Glootz commented. “Soren Rosier, who’s a senior on the team, made me play ‘The Final Countdown’ in the Kirkland dining hall on the accordion.”

“It’s not a common instrument, especially in America,” he continued. “So I sometimes just like to take it out, have a good time, and make some people happy.”

In high school, Glootz also cultivated an interest in water rockets, adding another national title to his repertoire in a water rocket building competition with one of his close friends. Though he is plenty busy at Harvard, Glootz claims the balance between all of his activities has been easier to maintain than he anticipated.

“I went to a magnet school back home in Germany for math, science, and technology,” he said. “My schedule there involved at least 42 hours of classes a week and school was one hour and a half away so I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning...and I wouldn’t get back home until around 10 at night. So I find myself having a lot more time and more sleep [in college].”

With this extra time, Glootz is able to dedicate himself to the game of volleyball.

“He’s just a well-rounded, great person,” Weintraub said. “He’s also a master of the accordion...He’s super talented, a great teammate, and a very funny guy.”

The volleyball team, like several other Crimson teams, is no stranger to walk-ons, with around one per year joining the Havard ranks. But, athletes who make the team in this manner face extra challenges.

“The burden is on walk-ons to try to keep up,” Weintraub said. “Paul has not only kept up, but he is pushing the speed of improvement. He definitely has a bright future ahead of him.”