Celebrating Women in Sport and Physical Activity - Profiles
Anna Tollefson, '09 - 2015 Honoree
This is what success begets for Grand Valley's women's club volleyball team: 180 people want to try out for 30 spots.
The team advanced to the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation National Championships in April, but lost to Marquette University, 25-22 and 25-21, in the tournament semifinals for the Division I bracket. The team went 36-4-3 last season and coach Anna Tollefson, ’08, was named NCVF Coach of the Year.
This year, Tollefson enters her fourth season as head coach, after serving as the club president and assistant coach as a student. Tollefson played high school volleyball at Kalamazoo Central and Mattawan and said coming to campus for sports camps helped solidify her decision to attend Grand Valley.
When Tollefson tried out for the club team her first year, she didn't make the cut. "I stayed in touch with the team and came back the next year and made it," she said.
Grand Valley now fields two women's club teams (Division I and II), and both teams travel to nationals. To get there requires a lot of fundraisers; Tollefson said last year the team raised more than $15,000 to fly to Reno, Nevada.
The business of club sports has changed since Tollefson, who earned a bachelor's degree in physical education, was a student. Prospective students will send her emails, asking about club volleyball after viewing the team's website.
"Now students come looking for us," she said.
Tollefson said she tries to give her players the life skills and real-world experience she learned from her mentor and former head coach, Beth Loehfelm.
Like other Grand Valley club sports, the team has officers and holds weekly meetings and practices, and travels to weekend tournaments. All those tasks require organization and leadership skills.
"It's been great watching our players gain these great business skills. I keep telling them these are items you can put on your resume," Tollefson said. "We have such wonderful women who play on the team. They are smart, kind and funny, and I love seeing them make new friends."
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