Selting Continues To Star For Northeast Volleyball

Most college athletes tend to need a year or two to adjust to the pace and talent of the college level. Former Elgin Public/Pope John athlete Elizabeth Selting is not most players.

After a stellar career for the Wolfpack, Selting joined the Northeast Community College volleyball team this season. It didn’t take long for her to make an impact. In her first game for the Hawks, Selting led them to a four-set win over North Platte Community College with a team-high 12 kills. Leading the way so quickly was actually a bit of a surprise for Selting.

“I thought it was going to take a little while because, during those first practices, I was a bit scared,” she said.

Now, with the season coming to an end, Selting has helped guide the Hawks to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II championship for a second-straight year.

Individually, Selting has starred throughout the year. She was named the ICCAC Athlete of the Week on September 28 after posting a career high with 13 kills and 13 digs against Southwestern Community College. She ranks fourth on the team in kills with 207, fifth in digs with 177 and has recorded 21 blocks and 13 aces on the year. That has helped the Hawks to an 18-14 record on the year and the trip to nationals.

When looking back on some of the brighter moments of her freshman year, there is one weekend trip that she remembers the most.

“We went up to Minnesota one weekend and it was one of our best tournaments. We went 3-1. We went up there not knowing what to expect and it was kind of just a fun trip to go play up in Minnesota,” she recalled.

In her four years as a member of the Wolfpack, Selting rarely was on the losing end of the scoreboard as EPPJ lost more than seven games just once, her freshman season. She has now dealt with losing 14 times in her freshman season alone, something she said helps her realize just how big of a difference there is in competition from high school to college.

“The losses are hard. It is hard to get used to knowing that there is a lot more competition when it comes to college volleyball. But we are all here for a reason and that is to play. I honestly love it. I love playing all of these hard teams and hard games,” Selting said.

One thing that has made the season easier for Selting to navigate, however, is the great fan support from back home.

“Its fun to see everybody’s faces down here in Norfolk,” she said. “There’s a lot of people that come down and tell me good job or message me after the game. It is just really awesome all the support I’ve got during this whole experience.”

​Selting now is hoping to continue her stellar freshman season at the national tournament in Charlseton, West Virginia. The Hawks will look to earn a national title beginning Thursday, November 16.