Lindsay Stalzer has spent much of her career playing professional volleyball all over the world.
She has played everywhere from the Netherlands to Thailand, winning titles and individual awards. Now in her 11th year as a professional volleyball player, Stalzer gets a surprise honor from her college alma mater, Bradley University.
The Illinois-based mid-major university announced recently that they will be inducting Stalzer to the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame on December 29.
Currently leading the Foton Tornadoes in the 2016 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix Finals, Stalzer was ecstatic to receive such the honor.
“It’s a huge honor and I’m super excited. I’ve got such good memories of Bradley and they gave me so much. It allowed me to boost my professional career,” Stalzer told Tiebreaker Times.
The 32-year old wing hitter laments how the university helped her grow as volleyball player.
Coming out of Kewanee High School in 2002, Stalzer had never played club volleyball like most aspiring volleyball players. She picked up the sport late, only playing volleyball for her high school while also participating in athletics where she was a state champion in high jump.
“I never played club volleyball, all I played was high school volleyball. Bradley took a risk on me. I wasn’t very fine-tuned, I was just a good athlete,” Stalzer, who scored 30 points to lead Foton over Petron in Game One of the Grand Prix Finals, said.
“They took a risk, if paid off. I think I had a great career there. So I owe a lot to them. My coaches taught me so much over there.”
As a Brave, Stalzer won the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2005 after setting the school and conference record for most kills in a season with 720. She is also the only player in school history to be selected to the All-Valley First Team thrice.
Although she never got all the breaks she wanted professionally, Stalzer is still thankful for the opportunities the playing for Bradley afforded her.
“This may not have happened in a bigger school so I would have had a totally different experience,” Stalzer expressed.
Earlier this year, the reigning Grand Prix MVP confessed that she was already contemplating retirement.
While that is still up in the air, Stalzer has her eyes set on a second PSL championship. While she has played all over the world, Stalzer has fallen in love with the Philippines – where she has played for three consecutive years.
“We saw it tonight; the incredible atmosphere and just the passion for the sport here. My teammates have incredible heart that I think is engrained in the people and culture here. It’s so refreshing, and I really love that,” she said.
And for the now-Hall of Famer, she would want nothing more than to add another championship to her impressive resume.
