Volleyball played a major role in Kamryn Willman’s college choice. The Grand Island, Neb., native first started getting recruited when she was 15.  But a major health issue nearly took it all away.

At 16, Kamryn was attending a volleyball tournament when her leg doubled in size. Her parents took her to the emergency room, where doctors found a blood clot that stretched from her groin to her knee.

“I was told I would never play again,” Kamryn said.

But Kamryn didn’t believe that. Neither did College of Saint Mary volleyball coach Rick Pruett.

“He was one of the coaches who always stood by me,” she said. “There was always a conversation between him and me. We just built a connection over these years. I saw someone who, in a way, didn’t leave my side. He still believed I was going to be a player eventually.”

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., were able to break up the clot, leaving behind scar tissue.

“I have a lot of limitations, especially with lifting because of the scar tissues, and swelling still happens pretty often,” Kamryn said. “I’m also on blood thinners, so there are always plenty of precautions.”

Still, Kamryn was ready to play. She signed with Flames volleyball in 2019, joining her older sister, Daryn, a senior her freshman year. Kamryn’s younger sister, Lauryn, signed the next year.

“I loved how small the campus was. It’s very personable,” Kamryn said. “They were very good with athletics. They care about you as a student, but they also care about you as an athlete. They are very supportive.”

Kamryn, now a senior, has been an integral part of the Flames’ national tournament bids during the last two years. This past season, she was honored for surpassing 1,000 career kills. Kamryn said Pruett has built a special culture at CSM.

“He brought many young women in here that are genuinely good people. It’s exciting to be a part of a program with good people but adding the success and the wins and going to the tournament is super special,” she said. “It’s something I’m never going to forget.”

Kamryn plans to return for a fifth year this fall.

“I didn’t want to be done with it,” she said. “I felt like there was so much more that we could do, and so much more I want to do with these people.”

Kamryn is double majoring in elementary and special education and minoring in psychology. She’s currently completing her student teaching experience.

“I’ve enjoyed the experience so far. I’ve enjoyed learning how to implement lessons or curriculum and building those relationships with students and seeing how important those are,” she said. “It’s exhausting, but it’s a good exhausting. I feel like I’m learning a lot.”

After graduation in December, Kamryn hopes to teach in a special education classroom before returning to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in school psychology.

In addition to teaching, Kamryn hopes to one day coach high school volleyball. She currently coaches 17-year-olds for Nebraska Elite, a club volleyball team.

“I feel that as a college athlete, I can help them in their recruiting process. It’s tough. There are a lot of things I wish I would have known that I’ve been able to help them with,” she said. “It’s also cool because some of the girls I coached are on the Flames team now.”