MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Shelby Boyle can’t believe she is a graduate of Transylvania University.
“It feels very surreal to be a graduate,” she said. “It all went by so quickly, it feels like just yesterday I was making the move to Lexington and now I’m getting ready to leave.”
Boyle, a 2016 graduate at Morgantown High, is pleased with how her graduation went.
“My graduation was virtual due to COVID-19,” she said. “Transylvania put together a really nice ceremony online and it was still fun for me even with our in-person ceremony being postponed.”
Boyle had an outstanding career at Transylvania. As a junior, she was named to the All-HCAC first team.
“It was rewarding to be named HCAC first team because it was a goal I set for myself my freshman year,” she said. “It was even more rewarding to have a teammate, Ashton Woodard, also on first team because it was a reflection of our team and our dedication as a whole.”
Boyle was named to the D3Hoops.com 2019 All-Region Third Team (Great Lakes Region). She helped lead Transylvania to its first regular season HCAC title in four seasons and first conference tournament championship in five seasons.
“Winning the HCAC championship was a great feeling for me because we had come so close the previous two years,” Boyle said. “Losing in the championship game my freshman and sophomore year was a hard pill to swallow. It hurt me, but also motivated me and my teammates to work harder in the offseason. So when we were finally able to win the championship, it was a great accomplishment.”
She scored in double figures in 24 of 30 games. She started in 29 of 30 games. She averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She shot 50.3% from the field, 41.9% from 3 and 80.8% from the free-throw line.
As a sophomore, Boyle appeared in 26 games, starting 24. She averaged 11.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She shot 43.5% from the field, 33.6% from 3 and 80.4% from the free throw line. She had 26 blocks, 38 steals, and grabbed 217 rebounds on the season. She was named to the All-HCAC second team.
As a freshman, Boyle was named to the HCAC All-Freshman team. She started 27 of 28 games and scored 7.6 points, grabbed 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. She shot 36.7% from the field, 38.6% from 3 and 82.8% from the free throw line. She totaled 26 blocks and 29 steals on the season. She scored in double figures nine times.
Boyle is proud of the career she had at Transylvania.
“It was such an honor and a blessing for me to play for Transylvania,” she said. “There have been so many great players who have played before me, so just being able to leave a small mark on the large history of Transylvania women’s basketball is something I will always cherish.”
Boyle has some favorite memories from her time at Transylvania.
“One accomplishment that means a lot to me is making it to the Sweet 16 my junior year,” she said. “After my sophomore year, all I wanted was to make it to the NCAA tournament. The fact that we not only made the tournament but the Sweet 16 is something I will always remember.
“As far as experiences, traveling with my teammates all over the country was amazing. We were fortunate enough to play in Canada, New York City, Washington, D.C. and California.”
Boyle received her degree in accounting and is now a graduate assistant for the Boston College women’s basketball team.
“My future plans are to become a college basketball coach,” she said. “Playing basketball in college changed my life, and I want to pass on the lessons I’ve learned to the next generation.”
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