University Of Missouri-St. Louis: Charlotte Richards Makes An Impression On The Volleyball Court, Off It

Press release from the University of Missouri-St. Louis:

October 1, 2021

Charlotte Richards was back flying through the air at the Mark Twain Athletic Center last weekend and pounding volleyballs into Chuck Smith Court with her powerful right arm.

Richards, the reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year, registered 33 kills combined from her outside hitter position as the University of Missouri–St. Louis volleyball team dispatched Rockhurst and William Jewell on back-to-back days to improve to 9-3 on the season. She now has a conference-leading 219 kills for the Tritons, who have won six straight matches.

The weekend performance is exactly what UMSL Coach Ryan Young has come to expect from Richards, a senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“From an attacking standpoint, she sees the court extremely well,” Young said. “She has a very powerful arm swing, but she can mix up different attacking shots, and her vision with the block and the defense is really what sets her apart. She can see the open spot. Some kids aren’t as comfortable hitting certain balls, but she can hit it up the line or across or down the seam.”

Richards is the focal point of the Tritons’ attack and a major reason Young and his players believe they can contend for the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and make a deep run in the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament.

But Richards’ skills as a volleyball player are only part of what makes her stand out. A supply chain management major and member of the Pierre Laclede Honors College, Richards also has been named Academic All-GLVC three times and last season was selected as a second-team Academic All-American.

This summer, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals St. Louis Roundtable awarded Richards its John Grant Helm Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student focusing on a supply chain curriculum at a local university who exhibits leadership qualities, community engagement and academic achievement.

“If she was not a student-athlete, if she was just a student, we’d still be going, ‘Wow, this is one of the best students that we’ve had come through our program,’” said Mitch Millstein, an professional practice professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Analytics.

Richards followed her older sister, Madsy, to the UMSL volleyball program and eventually into supply chain and analytics.

Madsy Richards had transferred from Kirkwood Community College as a defensive specialist the summer before Charlotte’s senior year. The family connection no doubt gave Young an edge in recruiting her from Xavier High School, and she quickly established a rapport with him and liked his coaching style.

She also found plenty to like about the university, including its location.

“I liked the idea of being in a bigger city with a little more activity and things to do,” Richards said. “It was in a perfect location where I could still drive home on the weekend if I had free time. Honestly, St. Louis has been the perfect fit with the perfect blend of activities to do throughout town.”

Richards wasn’t sure what educational path she wanted to pursue when she enrolled as a freshman, but UMSL provided her enough space to try out different options. She started out studying criminology and criminal justice her first semester before switching to the College of Business Administration.

Once there, she took courses in marketing, finance, accounting and management before ultimately landing on supply chain and analytics – just like her older sister.

“It’s the perfect blend of numbers and problem-solving and being able to interact with different people,” Richards said. “I love it, and I would never choose anything else.”

Richards has received strong support from faculty members such as Assistant Teaching Professor Maureen Karig, who teaches Introduction to Supply Chain Management and serves as the faculty liaison for the Supply Chain and Transportation Club.

This press release was produced by the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.