Moon Township, Pa. – According to Robert Morris University volleyball head coach Dale Starr, rising senior April Krivoniak has the "it" factor.

But you wouldn't know it just by watching her on the court, in the field, or on campus. Krivoniak has plenty to boast about in terms of her athletic and academic achievements, but she's the first to credit her teammates, family and friends for her success.

"[April] just kind of leads by example and goes out [on the court] and does her job," said Starr. "Very, very quietly she is a leader on this team. She is looked up to by everyone including her own classmates and her own co-captains."
 

This past season, Krivoniak set a new standard for academic accomplishment, as she became the first-ever student-athlete in Northeast Conference and Robert Morris history to be named NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in two non-related sports (volleyball and indoor track and field). Krivoniak carries a 3.99 grade point average as a biomedical and mechanical engineering major.

Her long list of additional accolades collected in 2015 includes Capital One Academic All-District (volleyball and indoor track and field), NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner's List, and NEC Championship Most Valuable Player.

"She has tremendous confidence in herself, but she also has great integrity," Starr added. "Her compassion for her teammates and her ability to do the right thing all the time pretty much; I think that's a tremendous attribute to have. But it's also a tip of the cap to her parents who have done a tremendous job raising one of the best student-athletes that I've ever coached."

Kristin Krivoniak, April's mother, was quick to credit April for her own growth and development on and off the court over the years.

"[April] always had a certain level of maturity that was different from her peers," Krivoniak recalled. "She's grown up with older cousins and has always had a good work ethic. She showed some coordination and ability early on and she's always had sort of a competitive nature. She liked to take everything to that next level."

Krivoniak first got involved with organized sports at age eight or nine, according to her mother, and always loved the thrill of the competition.

"She always tried to better herself," Krivoniak elaborated. "It was not something we necessarily taught or encouraged. It was just kind of her nature."

As Krivoniak is nearing the end of her collegiate athletics career, she has turned her offseason focus toward academics. The senior biomedical and mechanical engineering major is spending her summer in Virginia with Computerized Imaging Refernce Systems, Inc (CIRS). As a biomedical engineering intern, Krivoniak is gaining hands-on experience with creating tissue phantoms, which mimic human tissue and are used for testing or as teaching tools in conjunction with radiology equipment.

Krivoniak was exposed to the medical field at a young age, as her mother is a nurse.

"She always enjoyed the medical subject manner," said Mrs. Krivoniak. "She took some anatomy classes in high school and really showed an interest in it. One of her ninth grade teachers showed her information about biomedical engineering, so we tried to put together the full package for her. She wanted to find a place where she could study engineering, but also play sports. She was always trying to think ahead and put together a plan for herself. And she always tends to carry out what she plans to do."

So what's Krivoniak's post-graduation plan? Her mother says April's dream job would be to work for a large company in product design. The Latrobe, Pa., native is intrigued by the idea of transforming a product from a concept to reality.

Mrs. Krivoniak believes her daughter's drive, talent, competitive nature and work experience will help April carry out the next plan.

"I hope she continues on the path she's carved out for herself," Krivoniak stated. "[April] is not afraid to follow wherever that path may lead."

 
Follow RMU volleyball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter