By LAURA CARPENTER
Sports Information Assistant

Scorpion junior Judith Boel has been accepted into a Master of Neuroscience program at VU University Amsterdam in The Netherlands and will leave the Scorpion women's volleyball team.

Boel, a 6-4 outside hitter, came to UTB/TSC in 2009 and was a big part of the team that advanced to the NAIA National Women's Volleyball Championships.

A native of Almen, The Netherlands, Boel first came to study in the U.S in 2006. She played at Lee College for the 2006-2007 season; following that she went to Dickinson State University and played during the 2007-2008 season. She redshirted during 2008-2009 before transferring to UTB/TSC last summer.

Boel enjoys working with people and has always been interested in psychology and the research aspect of it. This master's degree prepares students for a Ph.D. program in Neurosciences.

"This is an international master's degree and that is has many different cultures and students from countries all over the world," Boel said. "The instruction will be in English and I am pretty happy about that as well."
 
Boel is the youngest of three children. Height runs in the family; she has a brother who is 6-10, and a sister who is 6-4. Both parents are 6-3.

Her height attributed to the Scorpions' success during the 2009 season. In 34 matches Boel took part in 93 sets, averaging 2.22 kills per set, and a hitting percentage of .315. She also had 46 service aces, 14 solo blocks and 56 assisted blocks.

UTB/TSC finished with a season record of 34-3 and advanced to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championships, where the Scorpions finished tied for fifth.

Boel enjoyed her experiences with the UTB/TSC volleyball team.

"I like Brownsville. I don't think culture is that big of a deal," Boel said."It's people you meet who make a place enjoyable. I could live anywhere with good people around me."

She will miss the camaraderie and the fun of being together with teammates. She plans to visit next year for Spring Break.

Boel has had a heavy load trying to graduate after her junior year. In the fall 2009, she successfully completed 26 semester credit hours. This semester she is taking 18 semester credit hours and is volunteering at a research lab with Dr. Luis Colom getting some hands-on experience.

Boel has been playing volleyball since she was eight years old. Although she would love to finish her senior year of eligibility, she is thinking of her education first.

"This was too great an opportunity to pass up," Boel said. "It's how I see my future."