Wendy Anderson was a member of the Clemson volleyball team from 1985-89, and also she also played women’s basketball for the Tigers from 1986-87. Wendy’s name remains sprinkled throughout Clemson’s record book, including holding the individual match record for solo blocks tallying eight against Central Florida (10/11/86) and Charlotte (11/6/86). She is a three-time member of the 20 kills/20 dig club and a two-time member of the triple/double club with a minimum of 10 kills, 10 blocks and 10 digs against Charleston Southern and Central Florida. Wendy finished her career second on Clemson’s career solo block list with 211 and fourth for total blocks with 578. She topped the ACC in blocks per set in 1987 (1.41) and finished her career as a two-time All-ACC Selection.
What is your favorite memory as a student-athlete at Clemson?
“Weekend tournaments with my teammates and making the two and five-mile runs in time with my teammate’s help!“
What do you feel Clemson provided you as a student-athlete that helped you succeed later in life?
“Clemson provided me with a great education, an opportunity to finish strong in school and my sports, opportunities for me to believe in my potential and the opportunity to implement team values in everything I do.“
What is your current profession, and where do you work?
“I am a Middle School Assistant Principal in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.“
What is something that you are most proud of since graduating from Clemson?
“I think the three biggest accomplishments in my life are being an 18-year breast cancer survivor, starting the women’s volleyball program at The Citadel and being blessed with my awesome son! And what is something currently going on in your life that you are excited about? Being close to retirement! Two more years!“
What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to young student-athletes?
“A friend once told me that ‘Life is a series of attempts. And whether the attempt goes well or not, you choose how you will react.’ It is another chance at a serve, another chance at a block, an attack, a dig, or a tough conversation during a tough time… No matter how the attempt goes for you, you will choose how to react after the attempt! You can react in a way that will set you back, or you can react in a way that will continue to push you forward. If you consistently choose to react in ways to push yourself forward, you will continue to master your craft! The best investment you can ever make is the one you make in yourself. Don’t just believe wanting something is enough. EVERY athlete WANTS it! You have to know if your heart you deserve it, and then you work hard to get it done.“
Ann Marie Wessel, now Indorf, was a member of the Clemson volleyball team from 1988-91, and then was an assistant coach from 1992-93. Ann Marie was the starting setter during the 1991 season and helped lead the team to a 22-12 overall record. She led the Tigers during the ’91 season with 906 assists to average 9.74 per set. Another fun fact about Ann Marie is that her sister, Margie (Wessel) Scott was the assistant coach at Clemson in 1981 and the head coach from 1982-83. She was 11 watching the Clemson football team win the first National Championship in her hometown, Miami, at the Orange Bowl.
“One of my favorite memories was during my freshman year when I participated with my first snow ball fight was my roommate/teammate, Annie Castro, who was also from Miami. Another memory is during our senior year when we played back in Miami at FIU with all our friends and family in attendance, and I was selected to the All-Tournament Team.”
“Being a student-athlete at Clemson taught me that through discipline and commitment comes confidence and passion which translates to successful win in all aspects of life. Clemson made us feel like we were more than student-athletes; we were investors in the program, the university and the people… No doubt, my life’s most successful investment!”
“I am currently the Superintendent of Miami Shores Parks and Recreation in Miami Shores, Florida.”
“I am most proud of being a Clemson Volleyball Alum, a mom raising four kids and a community leader in Miami through my profession at Miami Shores. I’m forever grateful and proud of the positive impact the game of volleyball had in my life as a player/coach and the lifelong friendships made through the sport!
I get so excited about gamedays watching my daughter, Katie, play volleyball and my sons, Andrew and Luke, play football.”
“MAKE IT HAPPEN!!! For every physical skill you work on in practice or in the weight room, commit valued time to your mental and emotion skills also so you become the confident, optimistic, focused, poised, competitive leader that your teammates can count on in Game Point and in The Game of Life!”
Denise Murphy, now Stadelmaier, was a member of the Clemson volleyball team from 1983-86. She was a three-time team captain for the Tigers and has her name scattered throughout Clemson’s record book to this day. Denise was the first player in Tiger history to surpass the 1,000 career dig and 1,000 career kill mark finishing with 1,299 and 1,204, respectively. She still holds the single-match record for digs with 36 and sits in the top 10 for hitting percentage (.800) while tallying 20+ kills and 20+ digs in four different matches. She still sits second in service aces in a single season (72) and fourth in digs (583), while ranking fifth in career aces (165) and sixth in digs. Not only did the lead the Tigers in kills, attacks and digs, in 1986 she led the country in digs per set (4.71). She capped her career by being a two-time All-ACC selection, an AVCA All-Region honoree, a two-time Academic All-American and an ACC Scholastic Award winner.
“One of my favorite memories as a student-athlete at Clemson was being in the training room with athletes from all sports, including football while getting my ankles taped prior to every practice and game. Another good memory were all of our away volleyball games and traveling via van and getting to know each other!”
“As a student-athlete at Clemson, the time management required to balance academics and athletics enabled me to succeed in other aspects of my life following graduation. The opportunity to provide a leadership role as a captain helped me after graduation as well.”
“I am an Orthopedic surgeon in Midland, Michigan and am in my 25th year of practice.”
“Since graduating Clemson my accomplishment that I am most proud of is my family. My husband Joe and I have four kids; three daughters {Rachel (30), Shauna (28), Murphy (26) and a son Ryan (19)}. The most exciting thing going on in my life currently has been recently dropping my son off at the Airforce Academy in Colorado Springs and will be watching him play lacrosse there.”
“The biggest piece of advice I would give to young student-athletes is to appreciate every second you are there and all that Clemson has to offer. It goes by so quickly.”
Emily Curtis was a member of the Clemson volleyball program from 2016-2020. She was a defensive specialist and libero that appeared in 114 matches for the Tigers. She finished her career with 1,005 career digs, including leading the team in digs during the 2016 (295) and the 2019 (336) seasons. In 2016, Curtis tallied 28 digs vs. North Dakota to tie for the fourth-most digs by a freshman in program history. She also led the team in 2019 with 26 service aces. At the end of her career, she was a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection.
“My favorite was going to Europe with the team and being able to explore and play volleyball with my favorite people. I also loved having the opportunity to go to Colorado Springs and train at the Olympic Training Center.”
“Clemson provided me with the opportunity to impact others through the spotlight I had while being an athlete. I was able to build connections with fans, other athletes, classmates, etc. As a college athlete, you learn how to problem solve, communicate, advocate and speak up for what you believe, teamwork, a hard work ethic and much more.“
“I am a third grade teacher in Denton, Texas.“
“I bought a house in the spring of 2021 at the age of 24 less than a year after graduating from Clemson.“
“Make the most of your time at Clemson. It goes by so fast. The long hard days are difficult in the moment, but a memory that you will miss!“
Lisie Kit was a member of the Clemson volleyball program from 2017-2020. She was a setter that appeared in 62 sets for the Tigers. She finished her career with 175 assists and 69 digs. She had a career-high 20 assists against Texas Tech and Wake Forest, both coming in 2017. Kit was a four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll recipient. She finished her senior campaign with a career-best eight digs against Wake Forest.
“My favorite is the foreign tour! We got to travel to Ireland, Venice, Croatia, Slovenia and Budapest competing against national teams at each of these locations. I am so grateful to have those experiences and be able to travel the world through the opportunities that Clemson Athletics gave me!“
“So many intangible skills that have translated to the “working world” like time management, organization, teamwork, professionalism and leadership! “
“I am an engineer at The Boeing Company in Charleston, S.C.! We are an aviation company that designs and manufactures the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing as a whole builds many other commercial and military aircrafts at other sites around the world.“
“My current role at Boeing is in an engineering rotational program, so I have completed two full rotations (six months each) and am now in my third rotation with one left! Each rotation has had a learning curve in a new role and new location with new software and programs to master, so it always feels like an accomplishment when I finish one! Current life excitement – I got married in April of 2022, so that has been the most exciting and rewarding gift of all since graduation!! “
“Your four years as a student-athlete will fly by so try to make the most of it! There are so many people surrounding your team/program that want to help you succeed athletically, academically and professionally – take advantage of the help all around you. Also, keep the bigger vision in mind – why you are there, what got you there, and what you want to accomplish these next 4 years. The daily grind can make your focus narrow minded when you are really there for a much greater purpose bigger than yourself! “
Karis Watson was a member of the Clemson volleyball program from 2011-2015. She was a middle blocker for the Tigers and played in 88 career matches. She finished with 459 kills throughout her career and 320 career blocks. Watson’s name is still etched in Clemson’s record book among the single-season records after she finished with 174 blocks during her senior campaign. Of the 174 blocks, 146 of them were assisted which ranks her fourth on Clemson’s single-season list. She capped her career by being named a Second Team All-ACC and All-ACC Academic Team selections.
“My favorite memories as a student-athlete were hanging out in Lightest after practices with my best friends, going to basketball games and Snowpacalypse 2014.”
“Besides about a million orange t-shirts, Clemson provided me with strong academic support whenever I needed it, time management skills, a fighting spirit and a community of lifelong friends who are always there for me.”
“For the past five years, I have been playing professional volleyball abroad in Sweden, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. This season, I am a volunteer assistant coaching at Winthrop University, and I have some exciting opportunities in the works!”
“As someone who stayed in my home state for college, probably my proudest accomplishments since graduating from Clemson would be leaving the states to live and play abroad. I wouldn’t have believed six-years-ago that I would be able to step that far out of my comfort zone. I am proud oh how much I’ve learned, adapted and grown through the process, and all of the unique experiences I’ve had. This year, I’m excited to be back stateside near family and friends. I’m really excited to experience college athletics from a coaching point-of-view and help develop younger players. Oh, and I’m definitely looking forward to being able to go to Clemson sporting events again!”
“My advice to student-athletes is don’t wish it away. Being a student-athlete can be such a grueling experience between practice, classes and traveling, but those four years go by so quickly. Believe it or not, you are going to miss it. There’s never a time in your life where you’ll be taken care of the way you are at Clemson. Embrace the struggle, take advantage of the academic and athletic resources, be present, be grateful, enjoy the little moments and make memories with your friends, teammates, classmates and staff. Also, if you get a chance, take some fun electives!”
Brittany Fennell was a member of the Clemson volleyball program from 2008-2012. She was a middle blocker for the Tigers and started in 21 matches during her freshman campaign. She finished with 111 kills in her first season with the program and tallied 15 solo blocks and 68 assisted that season. Fennell’s name still resides in the Clemson volleyball record book for the third-most blocks by a freshman in a single match on September 27, 2008 at Virginia with 10.
“In the summer of 2008, we went on a European tour after winning the ACC in 2007. We made the best memories and went to several different countries my freshman year. I felt like I started with a bang having a great season, earning the Team Rookie of the Year Award and wrapped it up with a trip to Europe.”
“The discipline and structure that a successful student-athlete has to have prepared me for my future career. The competitive side in athletics has made me always want to do and be better. The structure in a student-athlete’s schedule was always ‘normal,’ which has helped me be successful in work environments that some of my coworkers that weren’t athletes tend to struggle.”
“Senior Pharmaceutical Sales Representative at Johnson & Johnson”
“I have been thriving in my career for 10 years. I started in the pharmaceutical industry five days after graduating from Clemson. I moved to a town where I knew no one and took a chance. Clemson helped set me up for that. I was very close with my athletic-academic advisor and still talk with him to this day. I got my Masters of Science in Clinical Research, while pursuing my career goals.
Outside of work, I am most proud of entering into motherhood. My husband and I recently welcoming our sweet baby boy William Fennell Lucas on January 1st.”
“Take full advantage of what Clemson has to offer and not just from an athletics side. I wasn’t able to study abroad for a fall or spring semester, but I was able to do a summer session abroad and loved it. As much as I love my teammates, it was important to venture out as well and realize how big of a family Clemson really is!”
Danielle Hepburn was both a four-year starter and letterwinner for the Tigers from 2005-2008. She left her mark on the program with her name scattered throughout the Clemson volleyball record book. She still holds the record for single season block assists (158), blocks per set (1.71) and hitting percentage (.395), as well as the career record for block assists (560), total blocks (684), blocks per set (1.47) and hitting percentage (.357). Hepburn was a three-time AVCA All-American (twice an honorable mention and once a third-team selection) and was named the ACC Player of the Week eight times. She capped her career as a Tiger by being named the ACC Player of the Year in 2008.
“Beating Maryland to secure the 2007 ACC Championship title. Also upsetting 14th ranked Duke, during the regular season.”
“The list of life lessons I learned while I was at Clemson is extremely long and it includes things like teamwork, leadership, strong work ethic and time management.
There is no better place to learn the skills of time management, selflessness and leadership than being at Clemson. Also, winning with respect, losing with dignity and learning from both are lessons that last a lifetime. All these lessons prepared me for the real world and helped me become successful in life.”
“I’m a graphic designer for the OKC Thunder.”
“My biggest accomplishment is following my dream of becoming a graphic designer for an NBA team. I love my job! The saying is true, do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“If there’s something you really want, GO AFTER IT! If it scares you, it’s a sign you need to do it. Don’t let fear hold you back from what you know in your heart you should be doing. Move TOWARDS fear. Acknowledge it and let it fuel you in the knowledge that there is usually something great on the other side of it.”
