Fowles set up for volleyball success from an early age
“Mine, mine, mine,” Chelsea Fowles calls as she races to the ball. She gets under the bump pass from her teammate and then delivers a beautiful set to another teammate, who blasts a kill right past the opponent’s outstretched arms.
Bump, set, spike; point Aggies, and assist to Chelsea Fowles.
The next possessions seem like déjà vu. The Aggies get the ball to Fowles and over and over again she sets up a teammate perfectly for a spike right through the heart of the defense.
This scene is familiar for Aggie volleyball fans. For the past four years, they’ve watched as Fowles has developed from a talented freshman setter into arguably the greatest passer in Utah State University history.
On Oct. 6, in a nationally televised match against Idaho, Fowles became Utah State’s all-time assist leader with 3,948 career assists, breaking the 19-year-old record of 3,942 held by Carrie Steverson.
“It’s a really big goal that I’ve had,” Fowles said. “I’ve played volleyball for my whole life and I’ve always wanted to be somebody when it came to that. So now knowing that I’ll always be remembered in that kind of category is a huge deal.”
As much of an individual accomplishment as the milestone is, Fowles also recognizes how important her team is.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” she said. “Because if somebody doesn’t get a kill I don’t get an assist. We’re an awesome team.”
The Utah State senior started playing volleyball at a young age and hasn’t let her love affair with the sport diminish with age.
“My dad was a coach,” she said. “When I was only eight years old I played on a team that he coached.”
“I have three older sisters,” she added. “When they all started playing I just wanted to be exactly like them so I was like, ‘I can play too, let me play!'”
As a kid, Fowles said she dreamed of being a volleyball star and was inspired by one volleyball player in particular.
“When I was way young, I always wanted to be a setter and Misty May was my idol, I loved her,” Fowles said. “I even made my parents drive me all the way down to L.A. to go to a camp coached by her.”
In high school at San Benito High in California, Fowles earned first-team all-league honors as a junior and senior and was named her league’s MVP in 2006. That same year, her high school won the league championship and went on to finish third at the state tournament. Fowles also played for the Main Beach Volleyball Club team that participated in the Junior Olympics four times, including a fifth-place finish in 2006 in Atlanta when she was a member of the squad.
After high school, Fowles chose to come to Utah State, where she was named Western Athletic Conference freshman of the year, becoming only the third player in USU history to recieve that honor. She ranked second in the league in assists per set during her first full year.
“(Chelsea’s) a great kid,” said USU head coach Grayson DuBose. “She is a pleasure to coach, is a very good volleyball player, and has worked hard to make herself a better volleyball player.”
After her freshman season, Fowles continued to work hard and improve all aspects of her game. DuBose said that while Fowles always had skill on offense, it was her emphasis and drive to get better on defense which allowed her to take her game to a new level.
“She was always able to set the ball, but she’s a much better defender than when she got here and she’s worked hard to get better at it.”
This season the Aggies started out on a roll, reeling off 12 straight wins to start the season, with Fowles playing a major role in the team’s success. They are looking forward to the remainder of the season with high expectations and shared goals.
“We want to go to the WAC tournament and qualify for NCAA’s,” DuBose said.
“We’re going to make it NCAA’s – that’s a huge goal,” Fowles added.
After this season and what has been a brilliant career at USU, Fowles still has much she wants to do. Unsurprisingly, some of her plans involve volleyball, but she also hopes to take some time to pursue another hobby – cooking.
“I think it would be really fun to play in Europe if I ever got that opportunity,” Fowles said. “But, I really want to go to culinary school. That is kind of what I’ve always done and I wasn’t able to do that here.”
Chelsea’s accomplishments will go down in USU history and she will be remembered for them long after she graduates
“It’s cool, I’m proud of Chelsea and her accomplishments,” DuBose said. “I’m proud of the teammates who provided that help with her early in the year. It’s cool for our team and it’s cool for our program.”
– mark.israelsen@aggiemail.usu