Shelly Stafford

Classroom

In the classroom, Shelly Stafford sets the standard for Baylor volleyball. In 2018 she became the first Bear to be named the Big 12 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned her second Academic All-Big 12 honor. Also a seven-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in communications and is currently pursuing a master’s in sport management. She previously served as an intern for the Baylor Fan Engagement office during the spring and summer semesters.

Character

Stafford has been a tremendous leader on the team while consistently being a woman of influence. Despite injury keeping her off the court at times during practice, she remains emotionally invested in each and every teammate and drill. She played through a shoulder and stress injury during her junior season but didn’t miss a single set. After sitting out during the spring due to surgery, she came back and picked up right where she left off. Her ability to excel while in pain has been inspirational to everyone.

Stafford has served faithfully as a team captain the past two seasons while also interning in game-management for other sports on campus.

Community

As part of her community involvement, Stafford has travelled to Mexico where she worked to build a home for a homeless family in cooperation with Hope Sports.

Competition

A school-record holder and 2018 AVCA All-America Second Team selection, Stafford, a redshirt senior, is on the path to helping lead the Bears to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Stafford has made a name for herself in a Baylor uniform, breaking the single-season hitting percentage school record in two consecutive years and surpassing 1,000 career kills in the beginning of her senior season. She is a six-time Big 12 Player of the Week, a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection (2017, 2018) and a 2015 All-Big 12 Second Team selection. She is also a two-time All-Region First Team honoree (2017, 2018) and was named VolleyMob.com National Player of the Week during her junior season in 2018.

(All stats as of nomination time.)