Shelby Geers: October Athlete of the Month

There is a lot to be said for great coaching, but the athletes are what make a team. It is with the intention of recognizing these efforts that Prospectus News has chosen to begin featuring one of these special student athletes each month.

October’s Athlete of the Month is Shelby Geers.

Geers is one of the headlining athletes on the women’s volleyball team.

Head coach Cliff Hasting’s team has won its 18^th consecutive MWAC conference title. This line of success, and more importantly, Hastings himself, is what made Parkland College an attractive destination for Geers.

“I always knew I wanted to go to Parkland,” Geers said. “Cliff Hastings, the head coach, was my club coach since I was a freshman in high school. I knew I liked Cliff, so when he became the head coach here, I decided I wanted to come here also.”

That connection, along with the bond with her teammates, has led to a 32-6 mark on the season thus far.

For those that don’t know, Geers is a product of St. Joseph-Ogden High School. The proximity to her hometown has had a very positive effect.

“I like staying in town because all my family’s from here,” Geers said. “They’re able to come to a lot of my games, so it’s a good support system.”

“It’s a good transition also, going to college close to home. It’s like the college atmosphere still, but being at home also.”

There was more than a transition to college made for Geers. A shift to a more important role on the team was required in her second season.

“Being a sophomore, there’s a lot of leadership especially with their being nine freshman players,” Geers said.

“That’s a lot of girls to handle. I think the four sophomores have really balanced the leadership. We all have a different role. We all split the jobs.”

Geers and company have high expectations for this team.

“I think we all have high expectations, especially with all the talent that we have on the team this year,” Geers explained.

“Most of us have all played together and we all know what we want is a national championship. We’re all working really hard in practice, tournaments and games to get things changed where we need to get them to win that national championship.”

So far, so good for the Lady Cobras.

The Prospectus athlete of the month has definitely done her part. As of this past Saturday, Geers was No. 5 in the nation in kills with 348 and No. 4 in hitting percentage at .463.

Impressive, but these stats say nothing of Geers’ competitive spirit. Nor does she consider them her best success.

“For me, it was my freshman season,” Geers said. “I was out the first 17 games. So my biggest accomplishment is coming back and making the All-Tournament team at the National tournament.”

“I put in all the work in the preseason in August. Then I had to sit out for the first part of the season so I got out of shape. Then all the work I put in at the gym after I got back, I think that’s my biggest accomplishment.”

If she keeps up the pace, she’ll be considered for more than just the All-Tournament team.

Even with the success and accolades surrounding her and the team, she’s a rather cool customer on and off the volleyball court.

“I haven’t felt any pressure just because we go into each game with the same outlook that we have a job to do and we want to get it done,” Geers said. “We just go out there and play.”

One would assume a mental obstacle would present itself knowing that this women’s volleyball is the hunted and gets every team’s best shot at all times. Again, this doesn’t faze Geers in the slightest.

“I’m sure we have a bull’s-eye, but I don’t feel any pressure,” Geers assured. “We don’t really give them a chance.”

Dominance combined with a focused mentality will bode well for Geers and the Lady Cobras. It will serve Geers well at the next level of her volleyball career.

She hasn’t decided on a school yet. That announcement will come in due time. The current line of sight is a championship at Parkland.

The National Tournament is about a month away. This team fully expects to be there.

For more information on Shelby Geers, Women’s Volleyball and other Parkland teams, visit www.parkland.edu/athletics.