In her sophomore year she became the master of kills on the volleyball court.

Now, after receiving her communication degree from NIU in 2003, Tenisha Wilkins studies at Chicago State to become a master of English so she can teach high school.

However, NIU’s current starting middle blocker, Kate McCullagh, is fast approaching Wilkins’ 2000 total of 476 kills, which at the time was a school record. McCullagh already has pounded out 431 this fall with 11 games left.

“The game and players seem different now,” Wilkins said. “When I played, there seemed to be more intensity on the court. Not to take away from the girls now, but you could see it in their eyes. Though it’s really the players putting themselves in a position to get kills and be successful, I would say.”

And Wilkins can say. She finished her career with 1,335 kills and had more than 1,000 by the end of her junior year in 2001.

That same year NIU was first in the MAC standings and won the MAC Tournament while making its way to the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Northern Iowa in three straight games.

“I can honestly say that feeling was irreplaceable,” Wilkins said. “It really all started in the spring. The intense training before August and seeing each other fight through training, and then have it all come together was awesome.”

Wilkins said the keys for her and the team coming together were becoming more consistent and getting over their individual struggles.

“You really had to set aside your individuality day in and day out for the team,” Wilkins said. “I felt like every time we came out on the court we played as one.”

However, things came crashing down on Wilkins and the returning ladies in 2002 as coach Todd Kress took his 24-6 record and MAC Coach of the Year award to Florida State.

Many of the players felt betrayed.

“There were a lot of things I had to get over, but it was a good learning experience where I tried to move forward,” Wilkins said. “He did what he had to do, but I never really held a grudge.”

As Wilkins prepared to play her senior year, former NIU Athletics Director Cary Groth brought in Ray Gooden to replace Kress.

“Ray came in and really smoothed things out in a choppy situation,” Wilkins said. “He was really exactly what the girls needed at the time.”

Gooden agreed with Wilkins, saying the Chicago native was the team’s biggest competitor, bringing leadership to the squad.

“So much had happened to the team,” Gooden said. “They went through a lot of emotions and it was a challenge to get everyone back on track. With the success they had the year before, we were trying to really make the most of the situation.”

Wilkins didn’t end her senior season in John Elway fashion, as the team went 13-17. The former Simeon High School star registered 262 kills that fall.

“Selfishness,” said Wilkins about the biggest adjustment she had to make in her last year. “It was so easy to look at yourself and say ‘poor me.’ Maybe we didn’t have the same team as the year before, but we needed to do what we could to make the team better. I realized there was a bigger picture and I had to put the team first.”

However, she wasn’t able to put volleyball to rest. Wilkins returned to the team as a student assistant in 2003 while finishing her degree.

“It was just something I really wanted to do,” Wilkins said. “Working with the girls was a lot of fun while finishing my fifth year.”

But with NIU’s all-time kills leader Tera Lobdell graduating and McCullagh closing in on Wilkins record, how do the Huskies keep finding all the talent?

“You really have to have a knack for recruiting,” Wilkins said. “Take the football team for example. They didn’t always have a great record, but they made the best of what they had and look at them now. It’s not always the high profile player that makes the team, but the players coming together.”