Trinity senior has achieved numerous accolades volleyball, tennis careers

March 28, 2019

Whether she’s playing volleyball or tennis, Abby Schult feels it’s important to get off to a good start by winning the first sets.

“In tennis, it is important to win the first set, but if you don’t win the first set, it’s a lot easier to come back because you have more opportunities,” the Trinity Lutheran High School senior said. “In volleyball, winning the first set is important just to go out strong and get your momentum started so you can come out strong and win your other sets.”

Practice is a huge factor in success on the court in both sports, she said.

“You have to make sure you’re always working hard on practice and trying to get better,” she said. “There’s no consequences if you mess up in practices, but there are in games. It’s important to work hard in practice so you can reduce those errors you have in games.”

Schult has always played singles at Trinity, and she looks forward to moving from the No. 2 position to No. 1 this spring.

“Hopefully, I’ll be at 1. I’ve got to earn it,” Schult said. “No. 1 singles is hard because you’re playing the best player on the other team, but it’s really a mental game. You have to stay out of your own head, and you have to remember you are playing the best player, and you just have to go out and play your hardest every single time and try to reduce your errors.”

Schult said there are major differences between volleyball and tennis.

“I like singles a lot because in volleyball, it’s really a team effort, but in tennis singles, you’re relying on yourself,” she said. “You don’t have to necessarily worry as much about the communication part because you’re only playing with yourself and you can see the court and where your shots are open at.”

In volleyball, Schult split her time between varsity and junior varsity for two years and was a varsity starter the last two years.

“My main position my junior year and senior year was middle,” Schult said. “Other years, I mainly played right side kind of as a fill-in. My favorite thing about playing in the middle was getting blocks. I loved getting blocks, especially on the outside. Just getting a solid blockout, getting your hands closed and having the timing right and getting a nice, solid stuff block is my favorite thing.”

Schult said it took communication and teamwork to be successful.

“Communication is definitely one of the most important parts about volleyball, not just having people behind you telling you what spots are open and where to hit on the court but also being able to talk with your other hitters and setters knowing what plays you’re going to run, and then what speed sets you want,” she said.

She helped the Cougars win four straight sectional titles during her career.

“It’s exciting to be able to be a part of that for four years in a row and to walk into the gym and see those four banners hanging and know that you’re a part of that,” Schult said.

Schult had an older sister and brother who attended Trinity.

“I love the size of Trinity,” she said. “I like that it’s small so you can be friends with people from all the grades and pretty much know everyone. I love being able to be involved in more than one sport. That’s a huge thing.”

She has enjoyed her time at TLHS.

“I love that the student-to-teacher ratio is as good as it is because you get a lot of one-on-one attention with teachers, and they really work with you to make sure that you’re understanding all the content, and they hold you accountable for all of your homework and stuff,” Schult said.

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Name: Abby Schult

High school: Trinity Lutheran

Parents: Mike and Sherry Schult

Siblings: Hannah and Jacob

Sports: Volleyball, four years; tennis, four years; cheerleading, one year

Athletic highlights: In volleyball, academic all-state, IHSVCA all-state, all-state second team, all-district Class A south team, senior Class A/2A south team, all-county team, all-area team, Cougar Award; in tennis, 2017 most valuable player, Cougar Award, all-county team

Organizations: National Honor Society, Art Club, TLHS Riley Dance Marathon, 4-H, Zion Youth Organization, student ambassadors, student events team, student government

Plans after high school: Aattend Concordia University Chicago and study Lutheran education with minors in art and Spanish

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