The New Graduate on the Block: Loyola Men’s Volleyball’s Josh Schellinger

After four years attending and playing at the University of California San Diego, graduate outside hitter Josh Schellinger found out the school didn’t offer a master’s program in business administration with a finance concentration, which he intended to pursue. 

More so, he was ready to be back in the place where he grew up — Bloomingdale, Illinois. By moving to Chicago and transferring to Loyola for his final year of eligibility, Schellinger has finally been able to live out a dream of his: to live in Chicago. 

“I’ve always kind of adored [Chicago] and I wanted to see what it’s like,” Schellinger said. “And it’s definitely not letting me down, that’s for sure. I think four years at the same college got me really comfortable, and I kind of wanted to get a little bit of a nice change.” 

He said his time back living in Chicago thus far hasn’t let him down and has brought him a new, welcomed change. 

Schellinger caught the attention of head coach Shane Davis during Loyola’s trip out to California last year, when they played UC San Diego January 31. According to Davis, Schellinger’s intensity on the court was a big draw, both with how hard he worked on the court and as a leader and captain for his former team. 

Davis added who Schellinger is as an individual was another main aspect of his draw towards him during the recruitment process. 

“He knows who he is, he knows what he wants,” Davis said. “He knew what he wanted at the next level. And obviously being a local from the Illinois area is… just a great fit for him to come back for his fifth year to play for a local school like Loyola.” 

The transition onto a new team is just as Schellinger would’ve imagined it. Every team he played for has been the same — a bunch of guys who love to mess around, something he loves about this sport. 

Schellinger and his teammates have gotten close through spending hours together daily during practice, shared hobbies and their enjoyment in sports.  

According to Schellinger, the transition to Loyola has been smooth, and the team has been very welcoming and open, even though he’s a fifth-year and older than all of them. 

Davis said, in the fall, Schellinger was pretty quiet but has found his own way of leading and speaking up. Schellinger is now one of the first to be a voice for the team in both matches and practices with observations, feedback and next steps. Davis credits this change to Schellinger finding more of a sense of comfort with a new team. 

An increase in confidence the coaches have instilled in him, by giving him opportunities to have a voice, has led to this difference from fall to spring. Finding his role on the team is what Schellinger identified as his greatest area of growth since joining the Rambler community. 

Even after finding his groove, Schellinger faced an early challenge. The day the team returned from winter break, according to Davis, Schellinger injured his foot stepping on a broken jet in the hot tub in the training room. 

Schellinger took the next few weeks to recover from his injury, unable to start his final season and forced to watch from the sidelines. During his injury, Schellinger realized no matter where he was, he had a role on the team. 

Schellinger said the mindset hurdle he had to jump after being sidelined for the first time in his career was difficult. 

“The coach is still telling me I have a role in and things to do, which I think was super cool,” Schellinger said. “It’s still prominent in realizing that because obviously every person’s role is constantly changing on the team, but you always have one, and that’s the difference.”  

Davis praised Schellinger for perseverance during his injury and the seriousness he took to get himself better. Even while sidelined, Davis said Schellinger was always engaged in every match and was ready the second he was finally able to contribute on the court.  

Joining a team closer to home not only meant a lot of change for Schellinger but also a resounding sense of support from his family. Schellinger’s parents have attended every match to support him through win or loss. Additionally, his parents bring others along to these matches with them, often people he doesn’t even know. 

Schellinger said his gratitude to his parents and other supporters throughout his final year playing means everything to him.

“I think that’s such a cool thing to be able to play every single time, knowing that people have your back,” Schellinger said. “They’re just rooting for you to constantly play well, and I think that helps me a lot on the court.” 

Schellinger credited his start to volleyball as a “family affair.” As the youngest of three, he was exposed to volleyball from an early age after tagging along to his older brother and sister’s volleyball matches starting when he was in first grade. 

Schellinger noted this early exposure to the sport as pressure to follow in their footsteps by also learning how to play. 

“I kind of was forced to pick it up,” Schellinger said. “I started when I was in fourth grade and kind of stuck ever since.” 

Schellinger has been very successful this year at Loyola, posting a season-high 19 kills against his former teammates in late January. According to Schellinger, the game was weird but awesome as he faced off as a competitor to his former team. 

After the match, Schellinger was recognized as MIVA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance over UCSD. 

Schellinger said it’s validating to know he wasn’t being overlooked as a player and was being recognized for the difference you are making on the court. 

Davis said Schellinger has made a difference by being a role model to his younger teammates through his work ethic and the different perspective he brings as someone who is in graduate school. Through Schellinger’s exposure with professionals, he’s able to share his unique experience no one else on the team has. 

Davis said Schellinger, at his core, is a guy who wants to do things right and to the best of his ability. 

“He wants to please people in the sense of making them proud of the people he’s associated with and you just tell that by his actions day to day,” Davis said. 

Off the court, Schellinger is an avid reader who recently has gotten back into big series’ including his most recent series, “The Lord of the Rings.” Schellinger also collects Pokémon cards, loves playing video games and enjoys watching and playing tennis. 

After graduating with his master’s from Loyola, Schellinger said he doesn’t know what his next steps are. There are two possible paths Schellinger is considering: playing professionally overseas or joining the workforce in sales. 

Before tying his volleyball shoes up for the final time, Schellinger hopes he and his teammates can achieve a few goals: winning the MIVA, ultimately getting the team back to the NCAA tournament and personally being named an All-American. 

“Might be a tough battle for me, but there’s no time like the present, so keep fighting for it,” Schellinger said.