By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Shelby Livingstone Anema envisioned a life dedicated to ministry and chaplaincy among athletes.
When her playing days at Rice came to a close, Anema — now an assistant coach for Baylor volleyball — believed her calling was to provide for the spiritual needs of student-athletes. With a prime opportunity and persistence from those around her, she found a path to uniting faith and the game of volleyball.
“After I graduated from Rice, I thought that my life in volleyball was over,” Anema said. “I kind of felt like I had paid my dues — and then the volunteer assistant position here at Baylor came calling.”
Anema solidified her desire to do sports ministry while studying for her Master of Divinity at Truett Theological Seminary. She wanted to focus on the spiritual side of sports rather than coaching or the actual sport itself.
“I did not want to coach when I was in seminary,” Anema said. “Even as the volunteer here at Baylor, I was pretty adamant, telling my parents and telling [head coach Ryan McGuyre] that I love chaplaincy, that’s what I want to do with my life.”
McGuyre persisted in encouraging Anema to explore the world of coaching while she was a volunteer coach. He expressed his belief that Anema could combine her mission of sports ministry with her experience as a collegiate volleyball player and coach.
“I’m really grateful to coach McGuyre for speaking the volleyball skills and ability to coach into my life and then allowing myself to lean into the ‘Yes, I know volleyball and I know how to coach,’” Anema said. “I get to be a chaplain of sorts at places like Liberty and Baylor and really get to see those two things come together.”
After her time as a volunteer assistant, Anema left to coach at Liberty under former Baylor assistant coach Trevor Johnson in 2022 and 2023. She learned to coach full-time while also being part of a program that embraced its school’s Christian identity.
“I got to step out of my comfort zone,” Anema said. “Baylor, definitely after three years, felt very comfortable. And I loved it here, but going to Liberty was a moment to step out in faith and go to a new place.”
Anema had already experienced the faith aspect of Baylor volleyball, so she homed in on improving as a full-time coach while with the Flames.
“I felt like I was able to grow a lot in just my coaching abilities and my voice on the court to help prepare me to come back here to Baylor,” Anema said.
Anema already had ties to Baylor; her parents are President Linda Livingstone and First Gent Brad Livingstone; however, when she came to Baylor for seminary, her experience in collegiate volleyball opened the door to an unexpected coaching role.
“I was already coming to Baylor for grad school at Truett Seminary, and it all fit really perfectly,” Anema said. “Being the volunteer here for three years spurred on my love of coaching.”
The presence of her parents contributed to her love of coaching at Baylor. Anema has spent more time with them as she has grown and has embraced their support.
“I’m more and more grateful for all that they’ve invested in me,” Anema said. “You never really get to see your children at their job, and they get to watch me work every single week, and that’s really exciting.”
The connection among the Livingstones has reinforced the tenets of family and community that have been ingrained in the volleyball program under McGuyre. The players get excited to see the Livingstones cheer them and Anema on.
“When we talk about Baylor volleyball, we talk about family, and we talk about the Baylor family,” Anema said. “It is really sweet that I get to share my family with all of Baylor, and that Baylor just loves my parents so much.”
Anema looked back on the start of her collegiate volleyball career to credit her success and journey. She attributed her increased love for volleyball to Genny Volpe — her coach when she played at Rice.
“I owe so much of my volleyball success and coaching career to her because she made me fall in love even more with the sport of volleyball as a student-athlete,” Anema said. “I feel like lots of student-athletes fall out of love with their sport in college.”
Volpe has also proven to be effective at generating success on the court. She is in her 22nd season at Rice and has led the Owls to all eight of their NCAA tournament appearances in program history. Volpe’s legacy and connection with her players serve as inspiration for how Anema approaches coaching and investing in No. 16 Baylor as a full-time assistant coach.
Anema and the Bears will return to action against Arizona at 8 p.m. Friday at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
