By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- She was living in Europe, roughly 3,600 miles away from Massachusetts, when the search for a college took place.

Xin Ai Robinson was born in Daegu, South Korea and was raised in Germany while her mother worked for the United States military and her father was a teacher for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Robinson had only been to the United States to visit family in Oklahoma during summers, so she had no familiarity with Massachusetts.

But during her time looking at prospective colleges, Robinson learned from a high school friend in Kaiserslautern, Germany about a place called Bridgewater State University.

"She was looking at it, but she wound up going to a different school," said Robinson. "She had found out about Bridgewater on her own while looking at a lot of different schools.

"She told me Bridgewater would be great, just from how it looks and from everybody she had talked to. I was like, 'I'll check it out.'"

Robinson liked what she saw, made inquiries about the Bears' volleyball program and decided to enroll as a freshman in the fall of 2023.

"I toured the campus a month before I was supposed to be here for (volleyball) preseason," said Robinson. "That was the first time I saw it.

"It was a lot easier to pick here because of where it's located and it's a smaller school. It was an easier transition. I had a better feeling I'd be able to play volleyball here."

Now a sophomore majoring in social work, Robinson has settled in at Bridgewater State, enjoying her time as a student and a key member of the volleyball team.

Robinson, a setter, has helped the Bears reach the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time since 2008 after winning their first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament in 16 years.

BSU (13-9) is in Baltimore, Md., where it will play third-ranked and host Johns Hopkins University (29-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the opening round.

Robinson ranks second on the Bears with 258 assists (12th in the MASCAC) and is fifth on the team with 118 digs.

Her father, Zachary Robinson, is still in Germany where he teaches and coaches Division 1 high school volleyball. Her mother, Heather Robinson, is now working for the Army in Michigan.

"I used to play a lot of sports growing up," said Robinson. "My dad was my coach. I didn't really like a lot of the sports that I picked, except for softball. He told me I should try volleyball, so I started in fifth grade. It just stuck ever since."

Robinson's game has improved from freshman season to this fall, and her play is one of the reasons why the Bears went from four wins in 2023 to 13 victories and a conference tourney this season.

"She put in a lot of hand work in the offseason," said coach Tony DaSilveira. "She just really wants to play at a high level. We don't pull her back on it. She wants to set fast, she wants to go fast, she wants to run plays.

"We know when Xin is locked in and having fun, it's very good. We know if Xin's on we're pretty tough to beat."

Robinson went through an adjustment period when she arrived at BSU in 2023, but having volleyball in her life helped in the transition to a new environment.

"At first, it was hard," she said. "But after getting used to the community, it got so much easier making new friends. It was hard for the first few months but got so much easier, especially with volleyball and all the girls that I've met on the team."

Robinson's play on the court has stood out this season as she's teamed with graduate student Bethany Votta (Cumberland, R.I.) to form a one-two punch at setter.

Votta became one of 10 BSU players ever to reach 1,000 career assists and has 1,089, two shy of moving into ninth place.

"I think I've improved a lot, not just with setting but also with defense and being able to read the game a lot better than I used to and at a faster pace," said Robinson.

"I describe myself as a quiet leader. I don't say too much unless there's something that is needed to be said. I like to keep things relatively calm. Playing calm is the best way we can play the best we can."

Robinson is planning to join the Air Force once she graduates in 2027 and wants to eventually return to BSU to pursue a Master's degree in social work.

"I'm so happy I came here," said Robinson. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else."