During his last varsity volleyball season, Rincon/University High School senior Timothy Tran is determined to leave it all on (and off) the court.
Not just by winning matches, but by creating a tight-knit community with his teammates.
Before the season started earlier this year, Tran took it upon himself to order and purchase “Rincon/University volleyball” branded polos for all of his teammates.
The gesture was a way to promote team bonding, he says, something that’s important to Tran.
But if you asked his coach or teammates about his actions, they would tell you, “That’s just what Tim does.”
“The best part is the team in general,” Tran said. “There’s a community and it’s not like an individual sport and just being around a lot of great people. It’s very much a team-driven game.”
The Rangers are currently 5-5 in the regular season under new Rincon/University boys volleyball coach Sean Haynes, who is also the girls volleyball coach at Sahuaro.
Timothy Tran, a senior varsity volleyball player at Rincon/University High School, serves the ball during a game against Salpointe Catholic, April 12, 2025.
However, Haynes didn’t exactly expect to take the helm of the Rincon/University program.
He took the coaching position at Rincon/University at the last minute due to the school’s initial hire not being able to take the job. The boys volleyball program he inherited included more than 10 seniors, including Tran.
“He came to me early on when we were deciding what offense to run and stuff like that and he would be like ‘Coach, I think we should do it this way’ and debate it out and just have a really good conversation,” Haynes said. “And I said, ‘Thank you for talking to me and willing to be brave enough to come to your coach and say, hey, I disagree with you,’ but have that conversation in a way that’s respectful and we could dialogue back and forth. … It was just really neat to see him stand up for himself and his team, but in a way that was just respectable.”
Haynes says that Tran’s actions on and off the court show that he’s driven and caring.
This season, Tran has 388 assists, 101 digs and 28 serving aces. He’s currently No. 38 in Arizona for assists and No. 62 in the state for serving aces.
Timothy Tran, left, poses with Sean Haynes, Rincon/University High School’s boys volleyball head coach, after a loss to Salpointe Catholic at the Lancer Boys Volleyball Invitational on April 12, 2025. The Rangers won the remaining three invitational matches against Maricopa, Buena and Ironwood Ridge, all 2-0.
The Rangers are set to take on the rest of the 6A conference during their finals matches, including multiple games against Sunnyside, Marana and Tucson, before taking on Hamilton to wrap up the season.
The AIA Boys Volleyball State Championships begin on May 9, but the team won’t find out if they make the tournament until later this season.
“I’m looking forward to playing our region matches this year,” Tran said. “We’ve haven’t won a region in a really long time. And I really wanna win before I leave. So, that’d be pretty cool. Also, it’s Coach Haynes’ first year (with the team), so it would be pretty awesome to win in his first year.”
With his high school volleyball career coming to a close, Tran is feeling a bit sentimental about the end. But he hopes to take advantage of every moment with his team during their fight to the finish.
“It’s kind of sad, to be honest,” he said. “Because I don’t know if I’m gonna play volleyball in the future. But (right now), it’s just fun being around people from different age groups and stuff and being around my friends.”
Timothy Tran, a senior varsity volleyball player at Rincon/University High School, will be moving on to USC after graduation.
Tran will be fighting on in a different way this fall as he heads to his dream school, the University of Southern California after graduation. He plans to study business administration.
The uncertainty behind Tran’s volleyball future comes from him not being recruited into USC’s prestigious men’s volleyball program.
While he could’ve chosen to play volleyball at a smaller school, he opted to go to his dream school instead, according to his coach.
However, Tran is open to joining a club team, which is where he got his volleyball start several years ago before joining his school team.
After college, Tran wants to launch his own startup business or work in investment banking. His interest in business and finance stems from his hobbies outside of volleyball.
During his spare time, the 18-year-old participates in the school’s investment club and is into investing in cryptocurrency. He also enjoys making social media content.
Rincon/University’s Timothy Tran (1) hits the ball over the net during a game against Salpointe Catholic, April 12, 2025.
But volleyball takes up the majority of his weekly schedule, with at least 10 hours of practice each week, not including matches.
It can be difficult to balance school and volleyball some weeks, but for the most part, it’s pretty easy for Tran, who loves the sport and his team.
“Our season is doing pretty good,” Tran said. “We had a rough first few games, but it was against really good teams. So, we’re trying really hard but I think we’re doing pretty good for how we are.”
Fast Five with Tim
What’s your go-to volleyball move?
As a setter, I love dumping it. I love it when the ball just like barely goes over the net and it tricks the other team.
Who’s a volleyball player you would love to play with?
Moni Nikolov (from Long Beach State University). I watch a lot of volleyball and he’s pretty cool.
What’s your favorite athletic brand?
Nike.
What are three things that are always in your gym bag?
Shoes, water and probably my jersey, so I don’t forget it during game day.
What’s your current favorite class?
Economics.
