USD Magazine Fall 2015

at a small lake. She has plans to skydive. “I told her to wait until she graduates,” says Laura. That dauntless spirit helped produce a marvelous athlete. Leaping off one leg, Lauren can touch more than 10 feet off the ground, the highest on the team. Off two legs, she reaches 9 feet, 11½ inches. Only two teammates reach higher. That athleticism is important because middle blockers must move quickly from side-to-side. “You’ve got to be able to explode short distances,”

says Hilliard. “At 6-2, she’s long and lean, one of the most ath- letic kids we have on our team.”

Motorcycle Rally, is 30 miles to the northwest. Tourists make their way to the state. College volleyball coaches do not. Looking at the 2015 rosters of last year’s final regular sea- son Top 20 Division I women’s volleyball programs, 67 players grew up in California. Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Sweden and England were each represented by one player. The number of players from South Dakota on those rosters: zero. Hence, the quality of Schad’s club volleyball competition in high school was not keen. “Her progress has been about what we thought coming from that low level,” says Hilliard.

But now, the Toreros are expecting more. “The plan is for her to be our next All-American middle blocker,” says Hilliard. Petrie has built one of USD’s most successful athletic pro- grams. The volleyball record the previous 16 seasons is 300-110. The Toreros advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all but two of those seasons. When Schad talks about the pride she feels representing USD’s volleyball program, she sounds likes she’s echoing thoughts about her Native American heritage as well. “You feel a responsibility,” she says. “You take it personal- ly. You want to uphold those traditions. You want to make sure the legacy lives on.”

M

ount Rushmore sits 22 miles southwest of Rapid City. Sturgis,

site of the famous Sturgis

sandiego.edu/video/schad

17

FALL 2015