Krystal Rivers, who is majoring in biology, plans to go to medical school.
In the last year, Rivers has maintained a 3.8 grade point average and made history by becoming the first University of Alabama women’s volleyball player to be named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Third Team All-America list.
She accomplished it all just months after undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This month, Rivers was selected by Diverse as its 2015 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year. The award, named in honor of the late tennis great and activist, goes to college athletes who exhibit excellence is sports, academics and community service.
Rivers admits she had some really bad days. But she pushed herself, making — as she sees it — lemonade out of life’s lemons.
“I just had to get through it,” she told The Tuscaloosa News last year.
And she wasn’t just undergoing chemo treatments and taking classes. “She did volleyball at the same time,” Alabama setter Sierra Wilson told The Tuscaloosa News.
As a Crimson Tide athlete, she has racked up some impressive stats: 992 career kills; 10 double-doubles last year; three-time Southeastern Conference (SEC) Offensive Player of the Week in 2013; 2014 preseason All-SEC volleyball team.
