For UTM volleyball player Chelsea Bowles, success on the court and in the classroom are two things she is accustomed to.
Bowles, a Louisville, Ky. native, attended Assumption High School, a school well known for its volleyball program. In 2011, under head coach Ron Kordes, Assumption finished the season with a 44-1 record and was ranked No. 3 in ESPN’s Powerade Fab 50. During her time at Assumption, the Rockets won the Burris Invitational in Muncie, Ind., the Durango Classic in Las Vegas and the Asics Challenge in Chicago.
One of her favorite experiences, she said, was playing with Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team KIVA. While on the team, she was named an AAU All-American, after leading the Asics KIVA 18 red squad to a 9-2 record in the 39th AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships.
Bowles says she loves volleyball because, “it’s such a competitive sport.”
Outside of volleyball, Bowles spent seven years as a cheerleader, but she said that it didn’t give her the same intense feeling as volleyball.
Many student athletes have very busy schedules, and Bowles is no exception. While playing volleyball, she tries very hard to balance her classwork. She says it can get hard to study and keep grades up because of missing classes for games, but so far Bowles has proven up to the task with achieving a GPA of 3.7. Last year, she was named to the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Born on Jan. 15, 1994 to Davy Bowles and Ollie Jones, Bowles is a very family-oriented person. She has three siblings, Jessica Bowles, Wes Doak and Krystina Bowles. When she is able to go home, she spends time with her family by going out on their boat in the Ohio River to fish, intertube and jet ski and also by attending church.
Bowles wears number four because of her brother, Wes. Wes wore the number when he played baseball, but after his career ended, she decided to wear it during her volleyball career.
One of Bowles’ favorite movies is Bridesmaids, and her favorite food is buffalo chicken dip.
