Russell played two AVP tournaments in 1994 before becoming a full time player on the tour in 1995 with 16 events, nearly all alongside Burke Stefko with a best of ninth. The following year he played with four different partners, including brothers Albert and Nick Hannemann.  That season he had four sevenths and four ninths while earning the AVP Most Improved Player award. Russell began the 1997 season alongside Nick Hannemann in seven tournaments with a best of fifth, then partnered with Eric Wurts six times, finishing second in their debut together in San Antonio. He played the final eight events alongside Mark Kerins, winning in Cape Cod in their first tournament as partners to go with a fourth-place finish as well. He finished in third three times with three different partners in 1998.  Russell played 10 times in 1999 on the AVP Tour, plus one USA Volleyball event alongside Tim Hovland, and Volleyball Monthly named him as having the Best Hands on the Beach. Russell stepped away from the game until playing in three qualifiers in 2006.

Over the course of his career Russell had 10 finishes of fifth or better, which came in eight different states. His partners included indoor Olympic Gold Medalist Troy Tanner, Tim Hovland and Brent Frohoff.

During his time on tour, Russell met his future wife, Sarah Kiley, who was a staff chiropractor for the AVP. They went on to have two sons, Devon and Kyle. As his sons grew and developed their own love of volleyball, he found a way to pass along his passion for the game not only to them, but also to others in the community. He has since coached volleyball at both the club and local high school levels, sharing the sport and the life lessons it has taught him.

Having competed alongside and against the world’s best players, Russell remains grateful for all that volleyball has given him and for the opportunity to pass those lessons on to future generations. Beyond volleyball, he is a devoted husband and father, an accomplished professional in his field, and a Marine Corps veteran.