Becky Walters is Iowa volleyball's 'go-to' player

IOWA CITY - Becky Walters has one more go-around to complete her goals with the Iowa women's volleyball team.

Walters, a fifth-year senior, is Iowa's unquestioned leader, from her work ethic to her on-court demeanor.  She's vocal, strong-willed and active. So when she demands effort and dedication from her teammates, she expects results.

"I love Becky, she's like the most motivating person, player," said Iowa senior Signe Mueller, an Iowa City native. "She wants you get better, and she makes you want to get better if you want to succeed. She pushes you right along with herself."

Walters is a 6-foot-1 middle blocker who has started parts of her previous three seasons at Iowa. She's fought through injuries, including an ACL tear as a red-shirt freshman. This year she was named a team captain and is one of two seniors on Iowa's roster.

"Becky has worked harder than ... maybe any player I've ever coached to put herself in a position of success," Iowa Coach Sharon Dingman said. "She's taken care of herself mentally, and she's taking care of herself from a physical standpoint.

"A lot of coaches at Iowa use our wrestling team as examples in how they live. It's a lifestyle for these wrestlers. Every single day is a lifestyle for these wrestlers. Becky has really grabbed a hold of that. So if we have a wrestler on our team it's Becky. She's going to be our go-to player."

Walters, 22, started 28 of 29 matches last year and led Iowa with 89 blocks. She had 181 kills, which ranked third among her teammates last year.

In 2007, she started in 12 matches before tearing her ACL to end that season. She rehabbed and got back on the court in 2008, where she played in 16 matches and started one.

She attributes part of her toughness to her experiences and her upbringing. She hails from Parkersburg and wants to represent her hometown the way other top-notch athletes have. Her older brother, Nick, played college football, and she said she's judged on her college athletic success, like other Parkersburg athletes.

"What happened there motivates me as a person to work hard," she said. "I've got to keep my town happy. I've got to keep them with pride."

Her top goal is helping Iowa reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. She also is striving to become Iowa's first all-Big Ten player since 2001.

"Every day you have to go into practice and think, this is going to help me get to the NCAAs," she said.

FAST FACTS

• Iowa was 13-19 last year in Sharon Dingman's second season. Iowa finished 10th in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes haven't had a winning record since 2000 (15-13).
• Three key seniors with eligibility will not play for Iowa this year. Senior outside hitter Aimee Huffman is out with a shoulder injury. Katie Kennedy (26 starts) also will not play after an undisclosed injury. Setter Mara Hilgenberg (30 starts) left the team but will be a student, Dingman said.
• Iowa opens with a scrimmage on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Other key home matches include the Hawkeye Challenge (Aug. 27-28), Iowa State (Sept. 10) and three-time defending national champion Penn State (Nov. 26). Click here for the full schedule