Shelby Switzer is as humble as can be when it comes to individual volleyball accolades.
So it comes as no surprise the hard-hitting sophomore from Phoenix, Arizona is a quiet leader setting records left and right.
Switzer became the first volleyball player at North Park University to earn back-to-back College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors as she was named to the All-Conference honorable mention team for the second straight season.
Not only that, but Switzer became the first player in NCAA Division III, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, to record 30 kills in a three-set match this season.
“Shelby works hard at what she does,” third-year head coach
Tim Walenga said. “She continues to make strides not only on the volleyball court, but in the classroom as well. She's a perfect example of what it takes to be a student-athlete.”
Switzer recorded 15 double-doubles in her illustrious second year on the team, including four double-doubles in the last five matches. What's more, she led the team in kills with 446, was third in defensive digs (343) and fourth in serving aces with 24. Her 446 kills are a career-high as it brought her two-year total to 816, less than 200 away from becoming a member of the elite 1,000-kill club at North Park.
Switzer also earned a CCIW Offensive Player of the Week honor October 11, the first of her career, after her 30-kill performance in a 3-0 win over Marian University, NP's second of the season over MU, at the Concordia Chicago Invite. During the invite, Switzer averaged 5.89 kills per set and had a .353 hitting percentage. She had a season-high .419 hitting average against Marian.
“Shelby was definitely a big part of our success this season,” Walenga said. “She set a great example for all our kids and it definitely rubbed off as we finished with one of the best records we've had since I've been coaching at North Park.”
The Vikings put together a 15-win season, its second-best mark since the 2001 season, and earned the tournament championship at their own NPU Invite where Switzer was named to the All-Tournament team and earned Tournament MVP honors.
