As the Slippery Rock volleyball season winds down, senior Beth Stumpf is trying to make the most out of every single remaining moment she has in her storied volleyball career, and so far this season, she has done exactly that. Through 19 games, Stumpf has played an integral role in the Green and White’s attack, leading the team with an impressive 179 kills and second in points with 195.
Since she was young, volleyball has been central to Stumpf’s life and when she’s not dominating in volleyball or schoolwork, she likes to run, hike, or read in her spare time. Volleyball, however, has been second nature to the senior star, as she has played for a majority of her life.
“I’ve been playing volleyball for around 13 years, so it has been a big part of my life,” Stumpf explained.
It has been clear that she was born to play volleyball, as she had a decorated career in high school as well. Originally from Dayton, Ohio and a student at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School, Stumpf was an accomplished athlete, lettering all four years of her high school career in volleyball and three times in track. She was also a three-time All-GCL honoree and two-time all-district selection while being named a senior all-star. What is even more impressive is that Stumpf excels in academics just as much as she does in athletics as she was a member of the National Honor Society in high school as well.
With all these accolades and an excellent student, Slippery Rock University volleyball coach Laurie Lokash could not pass up an opportunity to bring Stumpf to Slippery Rock, and the pieces just seemed to fall into place for both parties.
“I loved the campus size, the enrollment size, and the smaller class sizes were a good fit for me,” Stumpf stated. “Coach Lokash also reached out to me and ended up recruiting me, so from there it just made sense to go here.”
From that moment on, it was history. Stumpf has had an excellent college career in volleyball, but the road to get to her 2018 season was not always so smooth. Stumpf proved herself as a freshman on the SRU volleyball team back in 2015, starting in 20 of 27 matches. Stumpf went on to rank third on the team in kills with 224, averaging close to three kills a set. She also recorded a career high in kills, with 20 against Shippensburg.
In 2016, Stumpf started in a majority of the matches (15 of 25) for Slippery Rock and was fourth on the team in kills, with 117. She also racked up 137 digs and had a career day against Lock Haven with 17 kills, 15 digs, and two blocks, while being named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete as well.
In 2017, things were tough for Stumpf as she went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, which prevented her from appearing in a single match that season. Most players would not be able to come back from such a devastating injury, let alone perform at the level Stumpf has been performing at this season.
During her final season at SRU, Stumpf has been one of Slippery Rock’s brightest talents in 2018, taking on a leadership role and leading the team in multiple statistical categories. With just nine regular-season games left, Stumpf is trying to take it all in and enjoy the time she has left in her volleyball career.
“It’s weird to think that it is my last season here and it just hasn’t hit me yet. I think once I play my last game here, it will all start to become a reality to me,” Stumpf remarked.
Stumpf will undoubtedly go on to put together the best season of her career, in what will hopefully be a great ending to a wonderful, 13-year volleyball career. After this season ends, however, Stumpf will try to stay involved with volleyball in some way, shape, or form, but she made it clear that she has come to terms that the final chapter in her volleyball career will be this season. “It’s possible that I might coach at a lower level or maybe even get involved in an adult league, but it will likely be time to move on,” Stumpf concluded.
For any senior, it can be hard to let go of a sport that you have played for so long, but as Stumpf alluded to, all good things must end. From a humble start in Dayton, Ohio, Stumpf has blossomed into one of Slippery Rock’s brightest stars on and off the court, as she prepares to make the most of her final volleyball games and end her star-studded senior season on a bright note.
