BE’s Swanson hits the beach — and court — for Ave Maria University

She’s a typical Bishop England High School student-athlete. Volleyball player Shawna Swanson has talent, a big heart and a team-first attitude.
 
She also has the determination to get past any obstacle in her path.
 
With all those attributes working for her you might think Swanson has a “life’s a beach” mindset.
 
Not exactly.
 
But the recent BE graduate does have beach volleyball in her future. She signed a scholarship to attend Ave Maria University to play indoor volleyball – and beach volleyball.
 
Swanson was one of the better volleyball players in the state during her time at BE. She played on the 2016 state championship team that made history by winning its 18th straight state championship and 28th overall, both national records.
 
The Bishops’ bids for state championships the past two seasons came up short, but Swanson can hold her head high because of praise from coach Cindy Baggott.
 
“She’s our motivator,” Baggott said of Swanson in a 2019 preview of the season. “We look for her to carry us emotionally.”
 
But Swanson suffered a catastrophic knee injury in the first match of the 2019 season, tearing her ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus on Sept. 9. She had surgery on Oct. 7, and took her first steps on Christmas Day.
 
While the South Carolina High School League doesn’t sanction beach volleyball, Swanson has played it in the past.
 
She enjoys beach volleyball and quickly points out that you need great communication skills as well as talent to succeed.
 
“In beach volleyball, you are all over the place,” Swanson said. “And, so is your teammate. You have to know their style, what they are thinking, where they are hitting. And, they have to know your style of play as well.”
 
Ave Maria University is a private Catholic university in Ave Maria, Florida, sharing its history with the former Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
 
The school was founded in Michigan by Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, and moved to southwest Florida more than a decade ago. Monaghan’s goal was to create a Roman Catholic university faithful to the magisterium of the Catholic Church.
 
“I chose it for its education, which is based on Catholicism,” Swanson said. “My parents (Janel and Todd) instilled a strong faith in me, and that faith still is really strong. I think this is a great opportunity.”
 
She has a 3.6 GPA on the Bishop England scale and plans to major in psychology and theology in college.
 
“I’ve been raised a Catholic, and the psychology will help me understand how people perceive theology,” Swanson said.
 
The school’s volleyball team had a historic season in 2019 with 14 victories. The team also set program bests in conference wins (8), conference winning percentage (.500), and total winning percentage (.519).
 
“I’ve been playing volleyball since the second grade,” Swanson said. “I wasn’t sure how far I would go or if I would play at a higher level. But I always thought it would be more fun than a job.”
 

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