GREENVILLE, Ill. - Greenville University received word of the death of rising senior women's volleyball student-athlete Allyson Grabowski who passed away Monday due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Bourbon, Mo.
Grabowski, 21, of Nashville, Ill., was a three-year letterwinner for the Panthers who played in 99 matches for Greenville University during her career.
Grabowski was a member of the SLIAC third team as a junior and was a two-year SLIAC academic all-conference team member. She played for two SLIAC regular season championship teams and three SLIAC tournament championship teams while participating in three NCAA tournaments. Her teams went 74-27 and tied a modern-day program record with 26 wins in 2017.
She earned a GPA of 3.99 while majoring in biology and chemistry at Greenville University. Allyson recently took the MCAT and applied to multiple medical schools. She was a member of the TriBeta Honor Society and McAllaster Honor Society. Additionally, she coached several teams for H2 Volleyball.
"The women's volleyball program, athletic department, and our campus community all join in grieving Allyson's passing," said athletic director and head women's volleyball coach Tom Ackerman. "Ski was one of the most compassionate and loved members of our program; she had a special way of making everyone around her feel comfortable and valued. We will always remember Allyson as a high-energy competitor, an amazing teammate and leader, and an example of excellence on and off the volleyball court. Our hearts are very heavy. She will be greatly missed."
"I never thought that I would be faced with the loss of my friend and teammate," said senior captain Maci Bonacorsi. "As I reflect on the person that Ski was, these words come to my mind - kind, smart, and hardworking. Our team will always remember Ski for her amazing leadership on and off of the court."
Allyson was born on March 12, 1998 at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the daughter of Jacek and Kari (Schulte) Grabowski.
She was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Nashville where she was both baptized and confirmed. She was a 2012 graduate of St. Ann Catholic School and a 2016 graduate of Nashville Community High School, where she was involved with track and volleyball.
Survivors include her parents, Jacek and Kari Grabowski, her sister, Abbygail Grabowski, all of Nashville; her fiancée, George Black of Rogers, Ark.; maternal grandmother, Jean Schulte of Austin, Texas; paternal grandparents, Jadwiga and John Grabowski of North Tonawanda, N.Y.; two uncles, Thomas Curylo of Niagra Falls, N.Y., and Chris Rainey of Goose Creek, Mo.; four aunts, Dena (John) Hopkins of Metropolis, Ill., Brandy Schulte of Austin, Texas, Alice (AJ) Richards of North Tonawanda, N.Y., and Janet (Rick) Kwarciak of Grand Island, N.Y.; five cousins, Alex Hopkins of Metropolis, Ill., Davis Hopkins of Austin, Texas, Thomas Turner of Austin, Texas, Eddie and Ricky Kwarciak of Grand Island, N.Y.; other relatives and an abundance of friends.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, Don Schulte and maternal great grandmother, Evelyn Rainey.
Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church in Nashville on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 10 a.m. with Fr. Andy Knopik officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
Friends may call at the Campagna Funeral Home in Nashville on Friday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
Should friends desire, mass offerings or memorials may be made to Abbygail Grabowski college education fund and will be accepted by the Campagna Funeral Home.
