Junior Shelbi Chipman of the volleyball team is the second Taco Bell Athlete of the Week for the 2012-13 academic year. She is earning the award for the first time of her career.
Chipman posted three double-doubles of the kills-digs variety to help the Tornados post a 3-1 ledger at the Austin College Tournament over the weekend, which included five-set victories over St. Thomas and Dallas. After hitting at a .429 clip with 11 kills in a 3-1 win over Rhodes, Chipman had 10 kills and 10 digs against Austin College to close out the first day of action. She ended the tournament by accumulating 13 kills and 14 digs as well as 10 kills and 14 digs in 3-2 victories over St. Thomas and Dallas, respectively.
“Shelbi is off to a great start this season,” said head coach April Birdsong, whose team has posted its best start since 2004 with a 5-2 ledger to date. “Her main focus is going all out for her teammates and getting pumped up while staying positive. When Shelbi is fired up, so is the rest of the team. She has a lot on her plate that most student-athletes don't, being a single mother, and she's working really hard to balance that this year. Shelbi benefits our team in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to court IQ and a composed maturity.”
Chipman, a psychology major from Round Rock, Texas, is the daughter of CTX graduate Marilyn Stapleton. She has two brothers, Ron and Russ.
