Senior leads volleyball squad

When senior Amanda Welter was entering her final year in high school she had a decision to make. Would she accept a scholarship to play volleyball, or would she accept one to play basketball?\nLuckily for the volleyball team, she took her aunt's advice and played volleyball. Now, Welter is IU's leading outside hitter.\nChoosing where to play was an easy choice for Welter. Although she had been offered scholarships to Cincinnati, Kentucky and Syracuse, all it took was one visit to the Bloomington campus. The next day, Welter told coach Katie Weismiller she would be joining the Hoosiers.\n"I chose IU, one for the Big Ten, (because) you can't find competition like it anywhere else," Welter said. "I also wanted a team that was building as opposed to a team that was already at the top, because I wanted to be the foundation of something. I wanted to be someone that started something."\nFour years later, Welter is entering her final year and said she has high hopes to take the team back to the NCAA tournament, where she has been the past two years.\nThis season, Welter is taking on the role as leader of the team and being IU's "go-to" player.\nWelter returns as one of the most experienced members of the team. She played in all 31 matches last season and earned recognition as a Big Ten Player of the Week. This year, Welter will also carry a lot of weight on the team because only seven players are returning. Welter is one of only three seniors.\nBut being a leader is nothing new for Welter, who is the second oldest in a family of five and was the captain of both her volleyball and basketball teams in high school. \n"She's a great leader," sophomore setter Laurie Gardner said. "She really wants to win, and she's a very vocal leader on the court because she tells people where to go." \nWelter comes from an athletic background. Her older brother played football for Eastern Michigan. As a young girl, she played basketball, softball and soccer before her father asked if she wanted to play volleyball.\nIn high school, she narrowed down her sports and stood out during her career in volleyball. Welter earned honors for making the All-City, All-District and All-League at McAuley High School in Cincinnati. She was also a three-year starter for her high school's basketball team.\nAt IU, Welter has gained the respect of her team both on and off the court. Gardner said Welter looks out for her teammates, always making sure they have rides and that they are doing OK. At the beginning of the preseason, she was paired with freshman middle blocker Melissa Brewer, whom Welter helped find her way around campus.\n"Amanda is very free spirited," Weismiller said. "She walks to her own beat and other players respect her because she tries to be nothing but Amanda."\nOn the court, her competitive edge comes out. Weismiller said Welter has the drive to win, and after the NCAA tournament, her face showed her hurt and disappointment after the team fell to Clemson in the second round.\nThis year Welter will be an offensive threat for the Hoosiers. Towering at 6-foot-3, she plays higher over the net than other outside hitters giving her and the team an advantage heading into the first weekend of play, which happens this Friday against Cincinnati.\n"I am looking forward to playing Big Tens," Welter said. "I am also looking forward to making an impression on the teams that we play are out to work real hard"