BILLINGS, Mont. – Born in Simi Valley, Calif., Chelsey Walter's family relocated to Billings when she was three years old and she called Montana's most populous city her home throughout her childhood. When Walter began her college search, she initially felt an urge to move far away from home and follow an unfamiliar yet exciting path. 
 
Always maintaining an active lifestyle as a kid, Billings is where Walter started out playing soccer and basketball as she discovered her passion for sports. It's where she picked up a volleyball around the eighth grade and ignited what would turn out to be her biggest passion.
 
"At first I wanted to move away and see something big and new," Walter commented regarding her search for the right college. "When I got closer to making a decision, it got really hard to think about moving away from my family. I wanted to be around my sister and brother and to be able to see and hang out with them."
 
By then Walter had excelled on the volleyball court, earning second-team all-state honors at Billings Senior High School. Standing at 6-foot-2, Walter was built to serve an invaluable role as a middle hitter and blocker, but it took a keen eye for talent to unlock her full potential. Noticing Walter's ability when she first began playing club volleyball, Senior High head coach Jeff Carroll helped mold Walter into one of the state's premier prep players.
 
"Jeff was a great coach that I really looked up to and respected," said Walter. "I excelled in volleyball a lot faster than I had in other sports, and Jeff was my club coach also so I knew I would have him again in high school. He was really intense, and he made the game fun to play.
 
"I also look up a ton to my parents because they've always worked so hard," continued Walter regarding her mother Chris and father Otto. "I definitely look up to them, and they taught me everything I know."
 
By her junior year of high school, the prospect of taking her game to the next level came into focus, as a collegiate career became more and more realistic. "My junior year I had a club coach who coached at MSUB, and that's actually how it started," remembered Walter. "I looked at some other places, but I had the best offer here and it was a big deal for me. The campus wasn't too big and I felt like I would fit in well here."
 
Not only did Walter fit in as a Yellowjacket, but she made a name for herself immediately as a freshman and hasn't looked back since. Dating back to her first season at MSUB, Walter has played in every single match and has developed her game offensively and defensively.
 
Now a senior captain for the 'Jackets, Walter overcame adversity as a younger player in the program as she learned what it took to become a leadership figure. "I went through a bad stretch my sophomore year of college, and I lost all of my confidence," Walter commented. "I started most of the games my freshman year, but my second season it was a little bit tougher. It was a hard slump to break out of, and it was the first time I'd really ever had to face anything like that."
 
Being a starter for the entirety of her volleyball career, Walter used the setback as an opportunity to grow and regain the confidence she needed to perform at her highest level. As a junior in 2013, Walter ranked seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in hitting percentage at .275 and No. 14 in kills per set with 2.76.
 
By the end of the season, Walter was playing with newfound inspiration, and her teammates recognized her leadership capabilities by voting her a captain for her final year. Carrying those responsibilities into the 2014 season, Walter is determined to help her team play at a high level from Day 1. "I don't really care personally how I do, but I just want our team to do well as a whole," commented Walter. "Along with Monica (Grimsrud) and Krista (Norris), I'd like to help bring our younger players into a good situation and start them off strong, so they can have a positive time for the rest of their careers. I didn't really have that kind of inspiration from the seniors my freshman year, so I really want to be a role model for them."
 
Having coached Walter over the past two seasons, current MSUB head coach Lisa Axel recognized the senior's growth and ability to adapt to different situations. "It is never easy to go through a coaching change during your college career," said Axel. "Chelsey had such a positive outlook from the minute I met with the team on Day 1. She has kept that positive attitude and created a culture of hard work and dedication in our gym."
 
Also playing a major factor in Walter's development as a student-athlete has been co-captain Kyndal Williams, who is a junior setter. "I really look up to Kyndal," said Walter. "We played against each other in high school, and I even thought she was a leader back then. Having her there as a captain with me makes me comfortable and I'm confident that she'll always back me up."
 
Williams, a graduate of Helena High School, also remembers the now-teammates' high school encounters. "We never really liked Senior (High) because they were really good," said Williams. "It's funny how we went from being rivals in high school to best friends now, and I didn't really know her personality until I met her in person. She is an intense person on the court, but I never would've guessed that she'd end up being one of the nicest people I've ever met."
 
Now with two years of experience playing with one another, Williams and Walter will consistently combine as one of the Yellowjackets' best attack duos this season. "We weren't that close my freshman year, but we have been able to spend more time together and gotten much closer," said Williams. "I've never looked up to someone like I look up to her. We aren't that far apart in age, but I respect her so much and look up to her as a person and as a player. I've never quite seen an attitude like hers before."
 
Axel agrees that Walter's overwhelmingly positive attitude has a profound impact on the team. "Chelsey has really grown into a leadership role over the past year because she is an extremely positive person and is willing to do whatever is asked of her to help make our team successful," said Axel. "Chelsey is one of the most unselfish players I have ever coached, and she is always looking to put the team's needs in front of her own."
 
"Since my freshman year, this is the team where I get along with every single person," Walter commented on the 2014 squad. "It's really nice and refreshing to have a team that I absolutely love, and it's also really cool that two of the girls – Kierney (Findon) and Annie (Bowers) – were my past teammates."
 
As Walter prepares for her final collegiate season, her sister Sammy prepares for the first of her career as a golfer for the Yellowjackets. "When it came to Sammy deciding on college, she was definitely looking to go away too," said Walter. "I just talked to her about how MSUB has a small classroom setting, and how the teachers and the whole atmosphere are great. I wouldn't have traded my experience here for anything."
 
"We are pretty much best friends," Sammy Walter said regarding her older sister. "She's been my role model with sports growing up and I've always tried to be as good as her. Her passion and determination to always better herself with her game inspires me to do the same with mine."
 
"I know that having me here will help Sammy a lot and will make her more comfortable," said Walter. "We have always been close, and I'm very excited for her. I'm the older sister, but I've always looked up to her."
 
With the final chapter of her volleyball career still to be written, one certainty is that Walter will approach her senior year with a contagiously positive mindset and an intense desire to be the best volleyball player she can be. Considering she is a health and wellness major with a motive to pursue a career in promoting peoples' wellbeing, it comes as no surprise that her attitude is transferrable between the court and the classroom. "I know I am in the right major, because I really want to help people in some way," Walter commented regarding her career hopes. "Whether it be wellness coaching or personal training, I think it would be really cool to help people learn to live healthy lifestyles. I've had such a good experience here, and learned what is important."
 
"The impact she has already had on this program is huge, and she is leaving a legacy of helping change the program into a winning one," said Williams. "No matter what, her presence will be remembered for a long time for Coach Axel and myself. You never forget playing with someone like her."
 
"Chelsey has really become one of our go-to players this season," said Axel. "We are still a fairly young team, and our younger players really look to her for leadership. She will be remembered in our program as a major contributor in laying the foundation for a successful program this year and for years to come."
 
MSUB kicks off its 2014 regular season by hosting the Jackets' Classic in Alterowitz Gym from Sept. 5-6. The five-team tournament will showcase some top talent and will provide the Yellowjackets with a strong test to open the season.
 
From the moment she steps onto the court, opponents, teammates, and spectators alike will feel the strength of Walter's presence. For opponents, it will strike doubt into their confidence. For Walter's teammates, it will spark positive energy and a winning mindset. And for some spectators, like Sammy Walter, it will bring a smile, signifying the beginning of four more years of the Walter legacy.