New head women’s basketball coach Alision Schwagmeyer-Belger knows her way around campus. The Quincy University graduate and former Great Lakes Conference Player of the Year returned to coach at her alma mater after playing professional basketball for the last 10 years.

Schwagmeyer-Belger started her basketball career just 30 minutes away from Quincy at Camp Point Central High School, where she broke the record for most career points and steals. A hometown hero was born when she decided to transfer to Quincy after playing her first two years at Charleston Southern University.

After college, Schwagmeyer-Belger knew she had the opportunity to make her dream of playing professional basketball come true. She traveled all around the world, playing in countries such as Germany, Spain, and Australia.

Playing overseas was not an easy task. Constantly moving around and being away from family was extremely difficult, but one thing always kept her grounded.

“My faith in Jesus definitely helped because it is so lonely over there especially when you are in a country where they don’t speak English. If you let yourself go into a rabbit hole you can, and knowing God was with me and he has a plan and purpose for my life is what kept me going,” Schwagmeyer-Belger said.

Now, Schwagmeyer-Belger hopes to give back to the community that raised her. She is bringing her work ethic, determination, and experience to the QU Hawks this season.

“I do believe I push through things with resilience, and I want to help teach players, kids, people that you can do anything you set your mind to and just because you get told no doesn’t mean that has to be your fate. I want my players to be people of resilience,” Schwagmeyer-Belger said.

Someone who can attest to Schwagmeyer-Belger’s resilience is her husband and assistant women’s basketball coach, Courtney Belger. He also played at Quincy and professionally overseas, making this duo hard to beat.

“She is coaching her players the same way she was coached, in terms of, if I believe in you why don’t you believe in yourself. That message is constantly getting pushed. She has the power to really raise someone up and she does just that,” Belger said.

Schwagmeyer-Belger first collegiate coaching job came last year as head coach of the John Wood Community College women’s basketball team. One player who has had the opportunity to play for her both years is junior Blair Eftink.

“I liked how she always pushes her players to work hard and makes you believe in yourself. She gave me a lot of confidence in my game, and she is overall a great person,” Eftink said.

Even though this is Schwagmeyer-Belger’s first year coaching at the NCAA Division II level, she has the full support of the community. Through her personal success and the challenges she faced, coaching women’s basketball at Quincy University is exactly where her players and community say she needs to be.