SV’s Anderson commits to North Park University
Scotts Valley High girls volleyball talent Svea Anderson is trading the warm climate of the central coast for The Windy City. The senior outside hitter committed to play indoor volleyball at NCAA Division III North Park University in Chicago beginning in 2021-22.
The 5-foot-8 outside hitter made an unofficial visit to the school over the summer and fell in love with the campus. Anderson likely made her mind beforehand, though.
“My mom (Margaret) went there, played and coached there, my grandparents went there and met there, and my great grandpa is a 1919 alum, so it’s a 100-year family legacy,” Anderson said.
That said, the private Christian university, which has enrollment of approximately 3,100, was picturesque and stole Anderson’s heart.
“There was a lot of brick and ivy, it had a classic college feel,” she said. “And I like that it’s small.”
Anderson, who carries a 4.2 weighted grade-point average, plans to major in psychology.
While D-III schools can’t offer athletic scholarships, Anderson earned a Presidential Scholarship from North Park worth $17,000 per year and a $3,000 scholarship from her church. Combined, they’ll cover roughly half of her annual tuition.
And the level of play fits, she said. The Vikings, under coach Michael Sopocy, went 12-17 overall in 2019, 2-6 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wis
consin. They begin their pandemic delayed 2020 season March 6 against Carthage College.
Anderson was an honorable mention all-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League selection in 2018 and ’19. She recorded team-high totals of 261 kills and 427 digs, and had 47 assists in 101 sets last season.
“I know where I stand,” she said of her athletic prowess. “I think I’m going to be more comfortable at this level. Volleyball today has grown so much. Division III still has some amazing players. It’s still going to be very competitive and a lot of fun.”
Falcons head coach Mark Andrews said Anderson’s talent is on par with her bright and caring personality, which led him to call her “sunshine.”
“She’s a prolific passer, one of the best I’ve had here,” Andrews said. “And I’ve been here 10 years. She deserves to keep playing this sport. She could play professionally,
if she wanted. She’s got that type talent.”
Anderson played for the Scotts Valley Diggers volleyball club from sixth to eighth grade. The program was later renamed the Scotts Valley Force. As
a sophomore and junior, she played for Main Beach Volleyball Club.
She has also played soccer since first grade. She served as center midfielder for the Falcons soccer team the past three years.
Last spring, she played on the newly formed girls lacrosse team. The season was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.