CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight (May 2020)
Each month, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) will highlight the accomplishments of a conference student-athlete. This month, we look into the career of Millikin sophomore women's volleyball player Tori Stuart.

Story by Mike Krizman, CCIW Assistant Executive Director

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Most 12-year old kids aren’t thinking about social injustices. They’re busy getting ready for junior high and the next step in their education.
 
Most 12-year olds aren’t coming up with the idea of running a summer camp for children with special needs. They’re busy roller blading, bike riding or participating in various other outdoor activities.
 
But Millikin sophomore women’s volleyball player Tori Stuart wasn’t like most girls her age. At just 12-years old, her and friend Samantha dreamed up the idea for a volleyball camp that catered to individuals with special needs.
 
The idea spawned during a backyard volleyball game.
 
“My best friend Samantha and I were 12 at the time and we were playing backyard volleyball with her sister Olivia, who is four years younger and has a disability,” Stuart explained. “So we realized that Olivia was going to be old enough to come to a high school volleyball camp with us, but her mom had to explain that the camp wouldn’t be equipped to help her.
 
“So, us being 12, we just thought, ‘let’s make our own camp,’” Stuart continued. “Now usually, if a 12-year old tells you that, the adults will just say ‘yeah right.’ But then the weeks went on and we couldn’t stop talking about it. So my dad approached us and asked if this was really something we wanted to do. We said yes because we wanted everyone to have the same opportunities we did.”
 
Victory Volleyball
 
Over the next two years, Stuart and her friend began networking with organizations in and around the St. Louis area.
 
Both sets of parents stepped in to help with logistics – from coming up with a facility to t-shirt designs, as well as snacks provided by Stuart’s grandma. Stuart’s dad connected her to a media contact who helped set up an online registration form and a friend from her local church helped design a t-shirt.
 
They eventually partnered with an organization called TASK (Team Activity for Special Kids), who provided campers for the very first session.
 
At age 14, the pair had successfully established Victory Volleyball.
 
“We would host meetings with the adult volunteers by going through drills and I’m sure it looked hilarious having two 14-year olds leading everyone in these activities,” Stuart said. “Once we were 15, 16 years old, we started running the drills, and coordinating with all of the volunteers and organizations.”
 
The camp grew to include partnerships with Special Olympics Missouri, Disabled Athletes Sports Association, Best Buddies Missouri, as well as TASK. It started with an age range, but now the camp caters to children and adults.
 
“The whole idea behind the camp was to create equal opportunities for all people no matter their level of ability,” Stuart said. “Whether you have a disability or not, it doesn’t define what you are able to do and what type of opportunity you should get.”
 
Millikin head women’s volleyball coach Debbie Kiick speaks volumes on Stuart’s character and compassion for others while working to make this camp a reality.
 
“It is obvious that Tori demonstrates empathy, wanting opportunity for those with less ability to have the opportunity to play the sport that she loves so much,” Kiick said. “And this wasn't just an impulsive decision to have a camp.  She and her friend actually, at a very young age, seized the challenge of securing facilities and equipment, designing and implementing health safeguards, and planning, publicizing, and executing this camp, including staffing of volunteers.  They were wise to seek and implement guidance from others with more life experience, but the two young women pushed through and made this happen.” 
 
Discovering Millikin University
 
Stuart had known early on in high school that she wanted to play collegiate volleyball. She started the recruiting process during her freshman and sophomore years and ended up visiting over 20 schools.
 
But none had really stood out as a clear choice.
 
“After about 20 visits, I was deciding between a couple of places, but I didn’t have a gut feeling,” Stuart said. “I knew God had a plan for me, but I just didn’t know what that plan was yet.”
 
Stuart’s club teammate (and eventual Millikin teammate) Jessi Kreder suggested a visit to Millikin and she jumped at the opportunity. She met Kiick while the coach attended one of Stuart’s club volleyball matches, and a visit was scheduled.
 
“I’m so glad I trusted in the plan and continued on my journey, she said. “I got to campus, met the professors and I could tell the dedication they had for the school and the students.”
 
Kiick is a 19-year veteran of the program and the school’s all-time winningest coach with a career record of 462-246. Her teams have won four College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season titles and have made the NCAA postseason four times.
 
But during her visit, Stuart was drawn to the culture Kiick has established during her tenure with the Big Blue.
 
“Obviously, you talk to Coach Kiick for five minutes and you see the passion that she has for the program,” Stuart said. “The culture she’s created is unlike any other I had seen. I could tell from the seniors and upperclassmen how dedicated and hardworking they were. I got in my car and told my mom that I was going to Millikin.”
 
Stuart stepped onto the team as a freshman in 2019 and played in 32 matches (30 starts) and tallied 2.73 kills per set for a total of 292 kills on the season.
 
But along with her ability on the court, Kiick points out Stuart’s strength as an all-around student-athlete, both in the classroom and as a member of the Millikin community.
 
“Tori embodies the philosophy of a Division III student-athlete,” Kiick said.  She is passionate about both her academic pursuits and her athletic endeavors.  As a Biology/Pre-Physician Assistant major, Tori is committed to excelling in the classroom and is an excellent role model for her peers in that regard.  She is a focused and organized student who is sure to complete her classwork before she participates in other aspects of college life.  In addition, she is an excellent, top-notch athlete who commits herself to her off-season training, competitive season, and non-traditional season.
 
“Tori is also well rounded, participating as a campus leader on our University Center Board, in a sorority on campus, and in multiple community service projects that help her meet challenges and develop life skills.”
 
Future Plans
 
Stuart says that she continues to try and follow her plan in life and that will apply to life after college.
 
“The big reason the camp has kept going is because my friend Sam and I are always thinking how can we use our skills to glorify God’s name,” she said. “So with that, I’m starting to realize that a path where I can work with people with disabilities more often would be a way that I can use my skills. I’m a very personable person and I like to build relationships.
 
“You don’t really find your faith for yourself until you’re older and you have to make decisions for yourself and you have to ponder through the big thoughts of life. I’ve grown up Christian, but I hadn’t fully enveloped into the faith until more recently. Going into college and experiencing the ups and downs you realize what’s important and where your values are.”
 
For more information on Victory Volleyball, visit https://www.victoryvolleyballstl.com/. 

CCIW Student-Athlete Spotlight
Tori Stuart - Millikin (May 2020)
Skylar LeVine - Illinois Wesleyan (April 2020)
Emily Clausen - Elmhurst (March 2020)
Colton Klein - Carthage (February 2020)
Michaela Johnson - Carroll (January 2020)
Luke Sawicki - Augustana (December 2019)
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2018-19 academic year, the CCIW honored over 2,200 academic all-conference recipients, 18 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 43 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, and over 100 all-Americans.