Oct. 28, 2005

Being a veteran on the Mizzou Volleyball team is about more than just showing up to practice for four years. Instead, being a veteran for the No. 8 Tigers is about consistently performing at a high level. For senior outside hitter Shen Danru, that consistency has meant a record-breaking career, as well as the ability to lead by example, when it matters the most.

On the road last Wednesday night, in the nasty environment of Manhattan, Kan., Shen and the Tigers stormed back from a two game deficit to win the match. En route to their first victory in Manhattan since 1993, Shen tallied 17 kills; three service aces, 19 digs and four blocks. She also notched her 57th career double-double, played in her 400th career game as a Tiger, and led the team in kills, with three, during the crucial fifth game.

While the above stat-line added up to a successful night for Shen, numbers like those have become the hallmark for the senior from Shanghai, who is also Mizzou's all-time leader in attacks, kills, digs and service aces. Shen is on pace to receiver her Masters degree in accounting, but despite that fact, numbers - especially her own - are the furthest thing from Shen's mind.

Shen admits that breaking school records wasn't exactly what she had planned on when she signed to become a Tiger. "I never thought about it when I started playing at Mizzou, I'm really excited about how I've done so far, but I'm very appreciative of my teammates who have helped me throughout the past three and a half years." Shen said. "I really appreciate how we work together and how we help each other on and off the court."

On the court, Shen sees this season as something different than her others at Mizzou. Like the rest of the team, she is hoping that the remainder of the season will blossom into something special. "Emotionally, it's different because I'm thinking about how it's my last year and I have to do something for the team and I have to contribute something not only to the volleyball side, but also something outside; doing something by example for the younger players." she said.

That example was set this past Wednesday night as Shen allowed her play to take center stage in the dramatic come-from-behind victory orchestrated by the Tigers. The introverted outside hitter says that she is not what you consider a typical leader, but that she's working hard to take on the role.

Possessing her own style and the ability to use both finesse and power at the net, Shen often finds herself feeding off an arena's vibes, as she usually causes more noise from the crowd rather than making it herself. "I enjoy the energy and the environment on the court." Shen said.

The energy that drives Shen was present two years ago as Mizzou downed the Nebraska Cornhuskers. For Shen, that memory currently ranks as the best of her career. "Two years ago, when we beat Nebraska on the road. That was huge, we didn't think about beating them, we just went in there and played for fun. We lost the first two games and came back for the next three." She said.

Shen has grown with this program since its early infancy. Since redshirting in 2001, she has witnessed the dramatic progress of this program in the past five years. Most notably, she has watched as the fan support has grown during her time in Columbia, Mo. "When I first came here, I only saw like 800 [people] at the most. At that time, I think people didn't have a knowledge of volleyball." Shen said.

Over four years and thousands of fans later, the scene around the Hearnes Center is completely different. Shen singles out the record setting crowd attendance of 7,298 this season against top ranked Nebraska as a turning point for the program. "We had fun with them, even though we lost, they were behind us." She said.

With eight regular season matches left as well as the possible postseason, Shen sees the rest of the schedule as opportunity to build on their accomplishments as well as galvanizing this team emotionally for a deep postseason run. "Personally, I want to do as much as I can, to be the best that I can to help the team; not only with my volleyball skills, but also emotionally and by encouraging my teammates." Shen said.

With the completion of her Mizzou career on the horizon, Shen already has plans for the future. She intends to finish up her Masters degree in accounting and is thinking about taking the CPA Exam. "I want to get a job in the middle of the United States for a multinational corporation or a public accounting firm." She said.

It seems ironic and fitting that Shen plans to deal with numbers in life after she has put up so many big ones for the Tiger volleyball program. Consistently excellent and a leader by example for the team, it's still easy for some to confuse Shen as a shy introvert. But listen closely and you'll hear the difference: When called upon to perform, Shen speaks for Shen and her numbers speak for themselves.