Senior middle blocker Abbey Winter received her third GLVC Volleyball Player of the Week honor after the Eagles’s opening tournament. During the Dunn Hospitality Invitational, Winter averaged 3.64 kills and 1.36 blocks per set. The Shield sat down with Winter to talk about the honor and her time at USI.

The Shield: What made you decide USI was the college you wanted to play for?

Winter: When I visited campus I really liked the coaches and I liked how well the team was on and off the court. It was also kind of close to home. (Germantown, Ilinois)

The Shield: When did you start playing volleyball?

Winter: I started playing in 5th grade. Me and my friends would just play together and we all liked being together all the time. It was just fun.

The Shield: Did you always know you wanted to play college volleyball?

Winter: Ever since I started, at least playing in high school, I knew I wanted to play in college and continue my career.

The Shield: Is there a particular challenge you’ve faced or something that’s been hard during your time?

Winter: Just  being an athlete in general is hard. Having to miss a lot of classes, to get notes from other people, and to find out  what you missed can be hard.

The Shield: Would you ever go back and change the route you took in college?

Winter: I’m happy with what I did. I don’t think I could have gone to college and not played volleyball.

The Shield: Do you have someone in volleyball who you look up to or inspires you?

Winter: I like playing with my team and we just kind of help each other. We all look up to each other.

The Shield: Out of the three times you’ve been awarded GLVC Volleyball Player of the Week, was there one that was the most special?

Winter: I was actually really excited about this one. It came after the first week the season started. It helped me to push this season and push harder to be able to get it again in the future.

The Shield: How did it feel receiving it so early in the season?

Winter: It was awesome, I didn’t realize our team was as good as we are. It was cool to see how we worked together. Having my teammates in the front really helped me.

The Shield: How are you feeling about your role on the team this year?

Winter: I’m feeling pretty good. I think that, me and Erica Oberbroeckling are captains, I think we have just been trying to keep the team together and make sure the freshman are fitting and know their spot.

The Shield: What is one thing you would want fans or anyone watching you to know?

Winter: If you have a chance to play college athletics, I would do it. You would really enjoy it.

You get to meet a lot of different people.