Chelsea Albers

Classroom

Chelsea Albers has been a member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team since she has been eligible for consideration and holds herself to an equally high standard in the classroom as she does on the court. An exercise science major, Albers already has an affinity for coaching and hopes to become a strength and conditioning coach. After she graduates in May, Albers is pursuing graduate school and is looking into internships with collegiate strength programs for the spring semester.

Character

As one of two seniors on a team with 11 underclassmen, it’s easy to see how Albers exudes character on the court. She sees it as a personal goal to be the type of leader that tells her teammates how valuable each of them are. Albers embraces the fact that half of KU’s 14-woman roster are freshmen and admits that it puts her in demanding role that she felt like she needed. Away from volleyball, however, Albers is much different than the aggressive player she is on the court. Her father passed away when she was only a child, putting her in a position few of us have to face at such a young age. Albers uses the tragedy as a constant reminder to be kind to everyone as everyone is fighting their own battle.

Community

A short walk downtown gives further insight to Albers and her big heart. She stops and offers spare change to those down on their luck, citing that she always puts herself in the other person’s shoes. When she goes home to Nebraska for the holidays, she helps at the local soup kitchen, not for the community service aspect, but more so to show all people a common respect. Albers spends as much time sitting and talking with the soup kitchen patrons as she does serving, treating everyone as she would like to be treated. When volunteering with her team, Albers was a big hit with the Douglas County Special Olympians and made sure each of her athletes learned something from her.

Competition

Like all of her categories, Albers’ actions speak louder than words. One of the most-targeted and most-consistent primary passers on the team, Albers embraces that role this season more than ever to ensure the Jayhawks control the ball and get into system. The senior leader has risen to the occasion on the more tangible offensive stats, as well. More than midway through the season, Albers has made every match count as she currently leads the team with 3.22 kills per set and is one of only five Big 12 attackers with 200 or more kills. She ranks sixth in the conference in both kills per set and points per set (3.67). In Big 12-only matches, Albers is cranking out more than four kills per frame (4.14), good for fifth among all Big 12 players. She has led KU in kills six times this season, including every conference match, and has chalked up two 20-kill efforts (22 vs. American; 24 at Oklahoma). Last week, Albers became just the 16th player in KU history to surpass 750 career kills and 700 career digs. Albers had an explosive junior season that saw her earn her first All-Big 12 First Team award and then topped that with an AVCA All-America honorable mention nod. In 2013, Albers cranked out 35 kills in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament to help lead Kansas to its first Sweet 16 in program history. She finished the 2013 season with 339 kills, 293 digs and 110 blocks, making her the first Jayhawk to post the impressive 300-kill, 200-dig, 100-block season since former standout Cyndee Kanabel did so in 1993 (367 kills, 283 digs, 110 blocks).