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Southwestern Community College will induct Rita Schroeder, longtime volleyball coach, graduate, and student-athlete, as its third member of the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The induction is scheduled to take place at approximately 2:30 p.m., prior to the men’s basketball game vs. Iowa Lakes, which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., in the college’s Student Center gymnasium.
A cake and punch reception honoring Schroeder will precede the basketball games at 12:15 p.m. in the upstairs of the Student Center. The women’s basketball game, also vs. Iowa Lakes, will begin at 1 p.m.
Schroeder, a 1982 graduate of SWCC and 1984 graduate of Simpson College, served at the helm of the Spartan volleyball program from 1984 through 2009. The following three years she served as assistant coach. Schroeder relocated to North Carolina after wrapping up her tenure at SWCC.
Under Schroeder’s guidance, the Spartans boasted a record of 705-372. They competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship five times — in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1999. In 1999, the Spartans finished third in the NJCAA D-II National Championships.
As a coach, Schroeder was adamant that academics be important to her student-athletes. During Schroeder’s tenure, her teams earned 10 NJCAA team academic awards and 10 American Volleyball Coaches Association awards. In 1993, the team had a 3.4 grade point average, which ranked them first in the country with the NJCAA.
The Southwestern Community College Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2013 to honor student athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, and contributors for their outstanding performance, work support, and/or significant contributions to the Southwestern Community College athletic program.
Ron “Fox” Clinton, retired SWCC athletic director, coach, and instructor, was the first Hall of Fame inductee in March 2013. Bill Krejci, longtime SWCC athletic director/athletic fundraiser, coach, and instructor was inducted in December 2014.