When lone senior Shannon Boatman arrived at UW-Platteville, her main goal was to pursue the sports she loved. Basketball and volleyball were always games she loved to play, but things are different in college. People advised her to focus on just one, but Shannon wouldnÕt choose. Instead, she rose to the challenge and has, in her words, "loved every minute of it."

Shannon came UW-Platteville after a year at Clarke College in Dubuque, where she was all-conference in volleyball and basketball A change in academic study and the opportunity to play both sports made UWP the logical choice. Her coach at Clarke, Tina Kuhle, came to UW-Platteville as an assistant and this year became the Pioneers' head coach. That made the transition easier for her.

"Shannon is one of the best players I have ever coached. I know she went through a somewhat tough time deciding if UW-Platteville was a good choice for her or not, but I think she made the right decision," Kuhle said. "She has grown as a player probably more then anyone I've coached. Coming in her first year I don't think she may have realized how physical the WIAC would be. But Shannon is a very smart player who has used her size and athleticism to put her in positions where she can excel!

"Shannon has come out of her shell these last few years. The first year I coached Shannon you could barely get a word out of her. Now she seems to be the team prankster. And she has taken some of the younger players under her wing."

Shannon agrees with her coach. "I was the quietest one on the team when I got here," she said with a laugh. "I just did little things. Now, I feel like I need to step up and lead."

Shannon has done more than just lead. She is among conference leaders in almost all categories, including an impressive first in rebounding at 8.2 per game. Her leadership doesnÕt end on the court. Shannon is a member of both the WIAC Academic Honor Roll and Gabe Miller Honor Roll. Always modest, Shannon attributes her success to her discipline as a two-sport athlete, saying her time management skills are much better than before college.

She was a two-year starter on the Pioneer volleyball team, helping this year's team to a 27-8 record and a national ranking as high as eighth. The Pioneers beat nine top-20 teams during the year, including a victory at defending national champion Washington (Mo.).

Shannon doesn't think sheÕs missed out on anything by focusing on athletics; rather, she's developed some great relationships and made some great memories. Some of her best memories include a trip the team took to Virginia.

"We played some really exciting games, and I really enjoyed spending time with the team," she said.

As the season winds down, Shannon is looking forward to playing hard and working with her other teammates for a strong finish.

"We're really playing good ball now, it feels like we're on the right track," she said.

Much of the team's success this season can be traced to Shannon. Besides her league-leading 8.2 rebounds per game, she averages more than 12 points per contest.

"She is one of those players you can always count on," Kuhle said. "She may not stand out in the game but when you look in the box scores after the game she always seems to have managed a double-double in points and rebounds."

After college, Shannon plans to stay active in both basketball and volleyball. The physical education major loves to teach, and hopes to coach whenever and wherever possible.

Shannon is the daughter of Robert and Ellen Boatman of Darlington.