There have been plenty of formative moments in Keri Walker’s volleyball career. But none, perhaps, as freeing as the one she shared with Northern State head coach Brent Aldridge at the outset of the 2021 season.

“I don’t need you to be Ashley (Rozell),” Aldridge told his newly minted starting setter. “I just need you to be Keri.”

Walker, who was taking over setting duties from the departed All-American in Rozell, might not have heaved an outward sigh of relief. But that statement stuck with her.

“I remembered that all four years,” Walker said. “Just knowing he trusts me and I just need to be the best I can be every day for my teammates. Obviously there’s that pressure of the people who have come before you, but it’s not a bad pressure. It’s a good pressure of something you want to live up to.”

One might say that Walker has done just that. The Grafton, Wis. native will leave her name strewn about the Northern State record books in both single-season and career categories and earlier this week earned All-NSIC honors for a third straight season.

Still, the road to that success – seemingly linear to the outward eye – was fraught with learning curves.

Walker arrived on Northern State’s campus in the fall of 2019 and was immediately benched. Not because she was incapable, mind you. But with Rozell already running the Wolves’ offense, Walker spent that first season on campus redshirting. Learning, Adapting. Changing. Growing.

“Redshirting, it’s one of those things that, looking back now, I’m so thankful I did it,” Walker said. “But at the time, it was pretty hard, especially when you played a lot in high school and club and never sat out. Freshman year I just learned as much as I could from Ashley. I asked her questions all the time, I watched her film from practice and I took in everything I could from her, how she led the team and carried herself on the court.”

Aldridge took notice.

“It was hard for her,” he said. “She was homesick and it was hard. But, you know, you can pout and waste that time, or you can do what she did, and do whatever is asked of you in the role you’re given and then go about making changes. She was behind an All-American setter (Rozell), who was also behind an All-American setter (Drew Smith). If you look at it the wrong way, it can be awful. I’m not playing, I want to quit or I want to transfer. That’s the new way of looking at it. She never looked at it that way.”

Walker threw herself into the Northern program and its culture, absorbing Aldridge’s coaching with a mindset focused on one thing – getting better.

“She just wanted to be great,” Aldridge said. “She was willing to make changes, and she absolutely has done that.”

It was, however, an adjustment, and not just in terms of playing time. Walker needed to adapt to the speed and power of the collegiate game, particularly in a conference with multiple perennial national contenders.

“Seniors in college are so much different than seniors in high school,” Walker said. “Bigger, stronger, faster arm swings. One of the big differences for me was in a blocking and defensive standpoint. People jump so much higher than they did in high school and hit so much harder, and they have a lot of range and different shots. That was a big adjustment.”

But Walker did, indeed, adjust. She has eclipsed 1,000 assists in each of her first three seasons, leading the Wolves to the NSIC tournament – and multiple NCAA national and region rankings – each year. She has earned all-conference honors three times, has already graduated once and will do so again next month with her master’s degree.

Her legacy, however? Has nothing to do with record books or stat lines. Nothing to do with those memorable matches, like sweeping Concordia-St. Paul on the road in 2021 or taking down 10-rated Wayne State last weekend, again on the road.

“I want my legacy to be someone who just loved the sport and loved playing for Northern and competed every single day for the girls on my team,” Walker said. “I think if that can get passed down, that will create a lot of success in the future.”

Walker will take the court one for one final regular-season match today when the Wolves play host to 16th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State at 3 p.m. at Wachs Arena.