Girls volleyball: Woodstock North’s Devynn Schulze commits to Illinois State

Being undersized on the court at 5-foot-6, Woodstock North’s Devynn Schulze made a position switch from outside hitter to libero two years ago.

It didn’t take long for Schulze to get the feel for her new spot in the back row.

So what does she like about playing libero?

“Being able to make cool plays and play recklessly,” Schulze said. “I like being able to run down balls and sacrifice my body for my team. And it looks cool doing it, so that’s a plus. You can get a lot of cool pictures out of it.”

Schulze has made many highlight-reel plays for the Thunder, which undoubtedly grabbed the attention of college coaches.

On Nov. 3, Schulze made her commitment to NCAA Division I Illinois State University and women’s volleyball coach Allie Matters. She also was considering an offer from Toledo.

Schulze, a junior, went on an official visit Nov. 3, touring the campus and learning more about the school.

During her visit, Schulze got to watch a match between ISU and Illinois Chicago at CEFCU Arena. Before that, she was brought into Matter’s office and offered a spot on the Redbirds’ 2025 team.

Schulze talked it over with her parents, Eric and Katie, who also went to ISU, and made a decision later in the day.

“Throughout the visit it was a no-brainer for me,” Schulze said. “I tried not to let it get to me, but I was so nervous the whole time. I was really hoping [they would offer] because it was a perfect fit.”

Illinois State is 11-18 and 9-8 in the MVC. The Redbirds will be one of eight teams competing in the MVC tournament at Missouri State, beginning Sunday.

Schulze said she was looking for a school close to home. She also had some familiarity with the Missouri Valley Conference school as a regular spectator at the IHSA state tournament, which is held at ISU each year.

Schulze’s older sister, Kylie, currently is a freshman setter at Loyola.

“I wanted to be close to home so my parents and family can come and watch me play,” Schulze said. “I also wanted it to be a high-level program where I could compete and have a chance at playing. [ISU] was the perfect fit. It offered both of those things, and the academics, as well.

“I’m planning on majoring in international business or education, and both of those programs are really strong. Everything fell into place.”

I like being able to run down balls and sacrifice my body for my team. And it looks cool doing it, so that’s a plus. You can get a lot of cool pictures out of it.”

—  Devynn Schulze, Woodstock North junior libero

Schulze led the Thunder this past season with 298 digs and was second with 48 aces, earning All-Kishwaukee River Conference honors for the second consecutive season.

North went 21-16 and took third in the KRC behind Richmond-Burton and Woodstock. The Thunder beat Crystal Lake Central 25-18, 11-25, 25-16 in a Class 3A regional semifinal before falling to Belvidere North in the championship.

Schulze is thankful to have her dad, Eric Schulze, as a coach in high school. He also is Devynn’s club coach at VC United, which he started in 2017.

“He’s one of the best coaches in the nation, in my opinion,” she said. “I might be a little bit biased, but I think he’s one of the best coaches you can come across. I know he just wants the very best for me. Getting to learn techniques from him and him being my coach is something I feel very lucky about.”

Schulze, who started playing volleyball at 10 years old, said she has dreamed about playing college volleyball for a long time.

After a short break from high school volleyball, she is going to continue to work on defense, passing and out-of-system balls.

“Competing at that level is something I’ve always wanted to do, it’s all I can remember” Schulze said. “That level of volleyball is something a lot of people want, so I feel very fortunate. Getting to play in that environment is something I’m really looking forward to.”