By Morgan Korovec

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. For Berkeley Miesfeld of the UC San Diego men’s volleyball team, this adage holds true. 

Picture this: It’s the team’s final preseason practice of 2020. After posting a stellar 14-5 record earlier that year in a pandemic-shortened campaign, everyone is fired up to ride the momentum into the 2021 championship season. Berkeley is pushing off to start an explosive approach when he is suddenly knocked off his game. He feels like a ball cart has been hurled at him. Except, when he looks back, there’s nothing there. 

“That's the best way my mind can describe it. It was really unique and I knew that something was wrong,” Berkeley said of the sensation. In a cruel twist of fate, the ground beneath him seemed to ripple, and a devastating injury befell the opposite hitter.

Berkeley’s injury was quickly diagnosed as a torn Achilles. Instantly, this news marked the athlete’s two-year long heartache of being sidelined from the sport he loves.

The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel bone, and allows us to push off the ground when we walk, run, or jump. While a ruptured Achilles can be a career-ending injury for some athletes, for Berkeley, instead it was a catalyst for his comeback story.

Berkeley’s story began here in La Jolla, where he grew up by the ocean swimming and playing volleyball. His long-time passions lie in volleyball as well as art history, Berkeley’s biggest interest outside of the court. 

“My mom is a really good artist. My family went to the Netherlands and Germany this past summer, where we visited twelve different museums. I love staying familiar with art movements and reading about the subject.” Berkeley explained that he fell in love with art history in high school, further detailing school as a place that he’s “always loved and felt comfortable."

Those who know Berkeley recognize his resilience and perseverance, on the court, in the classroom, and in his approach to life. These commendable qualities of the scholar-athlete have been evident before, through, and after his sudden Achilles rupture.

Berkeley has been a constant presence throughout the odyssey of the Tritons' volleyball team, from victories to defeats, adapting to challenges of masked-up and socially distanced practices, struggles with injury, and changes in coaching.

Now in his fifth year as a Triton, Berkeley remembers his freshman year in 2019, when the team was heading into its second season as a member of the Big West, the strongest men's volleyball conference in the nation. He played in 27 matches and earned three starts. He remembers his sophomore year in 2020, when the Tritons quickly exploded onto the scene, shocking a lot of teams including third-ranked UCLA, whom UC San Diego swept at home. He saw time in all 19 of the team's games before the season was cut short due to the pandemic.

“We climbed the rankings, then COVID shut us down," said Berkeley. “It was really disappointing as we were just about to head to Hawai‘i for what would have been two huge matches.”.

Then came the first injury in December of 2020, which kept Berkeley sidelined through all 18 of the team's matches in 2021. He watched as the Tritons closed out their campaign with a shocking performance at the Big West Championship in Honolulu. They defeated CSUN in the quarterfinals, the team's first-ever postseason victory as an NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II program. UC San Diego then took down undefeated Hawai‘i, the nation's No. 1-ranked team, on its home court to advance to the conference title match.

Berkeley rejoiced, “That year, our team had an incredible season. We beat Hawai‘i, who was undefeated at the time. I remember watching that match from home in bed, just wanting to jump up and down. It was really exciting and historic that we won."

Four and a half months after his first Achilles injury, Berkeley unimaginably tore it a second time. That would keep him away from any action during the Tritons' 2022 season in which they won seven matches against nationally-ranked teams, including sweeping No. 11 BYU in Provo, Utah. It was the first win for the Tritons against the Cougars going back to 1993.

In the midst of disappointment and the unforeseen, Berkeley persisted in his determination to come back strong. During his recovery period, the scholar-athlete shared how he tried to rehabilitate “as fast as he could”. This entailed rehab for three to four hours every day, with athletic trainer Claire Pointer, an individual Berkeley described as taking “really great care of him” and being “super supportive the whole time." 

“Every single day I came in, even on my emotionally worst days, she was always so cheery. It might seem trivial to others, but the first day that I could finally stand up and put all my weight on my foot, was a big moment for me, and she made me feel like it was too. She even marked the occasion by tossing some celebratory confetti in the air that day. She’s been there through it all, and I have a lot of gratitude and great memorable moments with her,” shared Berkeley. 

Berkeley quipped that the athletic trainer had been stuck with him for much of his rehab treatment, joking that she probably had to spend “way too much time” with him. Nonetheless, Claire insisted that “Working with Berkeley was a joy every single day.” 

Berkeley shared that perhaps the biggest misconception about being injured like this, is that it would allow for more free time, but instead, he found the experience to be quite the opposite. 

On top of daily rehabilitation, Berkeley aimed to attend every team meeting and practice that he could, where he “was able to see everyone continue to get better and compete.” He confessed, "I tried to make contributions to my team as best I could, and also did what I could to keep myself in shape, without the ability to walk and run.”

The team’s advancement was not only a motivator for Berkeley and further reason to be eager to get back on the court, but also a reminder that time is a force that waits for no one. It is an unstoppable march forward that can leave us feeling left behind. This humbling realization presents the opportunity to recognize that every moment we have is valuable. 

“By having to sit out for so long, it made me have so much gratitude for playing the sport. It was hard watching and not being able to play, and I realize what I took for granted. Embracing that gratitude has been super helpful in my recovery and return,” reflected Berkeley. 

The realization that time does not stop for anything, not even a torn Achilles, was seized with both hands by Berkeley. He returned to the court with a deeper appreciation for the game, and a powerful reminder not to take any moment for granted. 

Of this, Berkeley expressed the importance of an “attitude of gratitude”, an outlook encouraged by his coach. He said that “When you’re in a moment where something is suddenly taken away from you, you realize how grateful you should be for what you have. It doesn’t just apply to being able to play volleyball, but pretty much everything in life. You can never go wrong with having an attitude of gratitude and expressing thanks to everyone in your life, all of your opportunities, and the fortunes you have.”

Berkeley is incredibly thankful for his teammates, family, coaching, and training staff. “I keep hearing from my family at home how proud they are of me, and just knowing that, makes me proud of myself,” the athlete expressed, in acknowledging how he’s handled the situation. 

Of his family of Tritons on the court, Berkeley commended the team not just for their talent, but more importantly, he said, how rare it is that they are “truly, such great people”. According to the scholar-athlete, on the day of his injury, the entire team came into the training room to check on him, which was something Berkeley’s doctor had never seen before. “I think that helped me a ton, having such a great support system. They also made a little video for me to keep my spirits up and encourage me to get better,” he reminisced. 

Berkeley explained the shock in returning to the court this past season, realizing that the team he last played actual volleyball with, when he was last physically able, was completely different from the team that exists on campus today, years later.

Along the notion of the unstoppable flow of time, he said “It’s something I didn’t actually anticipate. In some ways, I actually am kind of like a freshman again, learning to be comfortable alongside all these guys I haven’t played with before. But in other ways, I’m having to be in a veteran role and am able to develop as a leader for these new guys. I’ve been through a lot and been here for a while, so my experience with the program has been super valuable. I’ve been trying to use that to contribute to everyone still learning to maneuver everything at UC San Diego, too, while also learning about myself with this new team.”

He continued, “You build a bond playing with people and you get comfortable alongside each other, so that was a little hard to adjust to.” The athlete expressed appreciation for his teammate and housemate, outside hitter Ryan Ka, who he has enjoyed being able to experience it all with. “Ryan is just a baller, he’s doing insane things,” smiled Berkeley. 

An element that has further maintained Berkeley’s positive morale is the coaching he does for Coast Volleyball Club. He has been coaching since his first year of college, and played for the club as a high school athlete. 

“Once I got on my knee scooter after the injury, I was excited to be back coaching. It’s been a really good way to not only be impactful on other people’s lives, but also keep my mind exercised in terms of volleyball, and keep me busy while learning and thinking about the game in a different way. It’s something I really enjoy,” he expressed.

Of Berkeley’s own coach at UC San Diego, Brad Rostratter, he described as “an incredibly great person.” While Rostratter was named head coach of the team recently in 2022 and was not there to see much of what Berkeley endured, the athlete revealed how his new coach has been very supportive and “really quickly acknowledged how what I went through has built the person that I am. He really believes in me and it makes me feel like when I’m playing, that I want to win for him. We get along really well and I respect him so much." 

On this same note, Rostratter detailed Berkeley’s “demeanor, steadiness, and poise, obviously from his entire situation and what he’s bounced back from, that demonstrates to the rest of the team the level of commitment required in order to be great, rebound, and respond well."

Rostratter further commented on the standout’s numerous strengths.

“For us, a lot of what we do comes from Berkeley’s success at the service line.” 

Rostratter revealed how the athlete’s greatest physical attribute is his arm – fast and dynamic, sharing that this specifically, leads Berkeley to being one of the team’s better servers and a really strong server in the nation.

“With him being left-handed, too, it creates some natural tail and curve, which is different and unique, therefore tougher for other passers who don't see that every day,” he said.

That arm served up 16 aces over the 2023 season, the most on the team.  

On the mental and analytical side, Rostratter referred to Berkeley’s incredible mental fortitude “to power through situations and to take every situation so calmly and level headed, that he doesn’t really get rattled by anything at all. He can truly look at a situation for what it is, and not get caught up in the emotion or adrenaline, and focus on the specifics like what needs to be done in order to execute this goal, which is a huge skill in terms of volleyball." 

While the recovery process has been taxing, Berkeley revealed how seeing the way he’s made it past this moment in his life allows him to recognize how much stronger he’s become psychologically. 

“I tell myself that no matter how hard this thing in front of me is, it doesn’t even come close in comparison to what I went through before. I know that nobody else on the court had to experience that, so just realizing how much stronger the challenge made me has been really valuable, it felt like an advantage to me,” Berkeley articulated.

Rostratter remarked, “I think one of the biggest things in this sport is pushing the younger players. It's tough to tell them how to work harder and go about living their lives, but it's a lot easier to have an amazing example like Berkeley, demonstrating it on a daily basis. Those freshmen and sophomores are constantly around Berkeley and exposed to what it looks like to be great, diligent, hardworking, each and every day, regardless of if you’re in pain, tired, sore, or you have an exam…he’s just so consistent in what he does each and every day.”

With that, each and every day, Berkeley is reminded of his strength and success through a peace of mind that derives from knowing he did his best to contribute to his team while physically unable to play, and to prove to himself that he would return to the court, stronger than ever.

Berkeley made that return to the court on Jan. 5, 2023. It was UC San Diego's first match of the season and his first playing time since March 11 of 2020. He finished with eight kills on 26 attack attempts while adding six digs, two service aces, a block, and an assist. The Tritons battled for a 3-2 win on the road at Lincoln Memorial.

A bright, analytical, hard worker, Berkeley recently earning his Master's degree in Finance at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management. As an undergrad, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management Science while holding a minor in Law. He is considering law school down the line, but in the near future is looking forward to applying the two degrees he has to become involved with a financial analyst or services company in San Diego.

Earlier this week, Berkeley was named a CSC Academic All-District honoree for his play on the court and his academic prowess off of it. In 2022, he was tabbed UC San Diego's Mark Applebaum Academic Scholar-Athlete of the Year for holding the highest GPA of all men's athletes on campus. Twice he has won academic acclaim from the Big West and has also served as a team representative on the Triton Athlete's Council.

Berkeley acknowledged that while he wouldn’t want to have to endure this experience again, he is proud of how he went through it and can certainly recognize the good that has come from it. These moments of hardship are often the ones that best shape us, test our character, and lead to true growth and fulfillment.

It is plain to see that in Berkeley’s case, absence didn’t just make his heart grow fonder, but also fueled his determination to come back, stronger than ever.