TACOMA, Wash. - Throughout the spring semester GoLutes.com will highlight the five individuals and two varsity four crews from the PLU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2020 that will be inducted on March 12. Today's installment features volleyball standout Ingrid Finstuen (Lindeblad) who graduated in 2000 with a degree in English.
 
A native of Spokane, Washington, Finstuen originally attended Saint Olaf College in Minnesota, helping the Oles place third at the NCAA Division III Championships in 1996 before transferring to PLU prior to her sophomore year. 
 
"In thinking about colleges, I wanted both a high-quality liberal arts education and a competitive collegiate athletic experience. PLU was a great fit in both categories. I had crossed paths with Kevin Aoki and Tim Templin at volleyball camps in high school, so I had a sense that they were talented coaches and that PLU would provide a fun and enriching team environment. When I transferred to PLU, I hadn't yet decided on a major, but it turned out the English department, including the Publishing and Printing Arts minor, was the right place for me."
 
That decision paid dividends for Finstuen. Despite missing nearly a third of the 1997 season with mononucleosis, she proved to be an impact player for the Lutes, leading the team in assists with 491 in the 16 matches she played. Finstuen was an All-Northwest Conference selection and an GTE Academic All-District VIII honoree as a junior, racking up 811 assists before saving her best for last as a senior in 1999. Finstuen was again named All-NWC and GTE Academic All-District guiding the Lutes to their first ever NWC title, posting a 13-3 conference record, before making the programs first trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament, advancing to the NCAA West Region semifinals. That season set the bar for the program that has since won 10 more NWC titles and made 11 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. 
 
"I am proud of contributing to a strong volleyball program and receiving an education that encouraged curiosity and openness. Of course, my success on the court and in the classroom was reflective of the quality of those around me: my teammates, coaches, and professors."
 
Finstuen's three years on campus saw the Lutes win 45 games while twice winning the PLU Volleyball Captain's Award.
 
But Finstuen's career at PLU included more than just winning matches on the court. She was able to study away during J-Term, spending time in Paris, Athens, and London. Additionally, Finstuen was inspired by many individuals on campus.
 
"My volleyball coaches, of course, had a big impact on me. I had a lot of great professors as well, but I would highlight Tom Campbell, Megan Benton, and Chuck Bergman, whose classes helped crystallize my interest in writing and editing."
 
After PLU, Finstuen life trajectory has been just as prolific as her time on campus. She obtained a master's degree in publishing and writing from Emerson College and worked in the editorial department of a publisher in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she helped acquire and edit nonfiction books. Finstuen and her husband, Andrew '99, moved back to the Pacific Northwest where she owned a local yarn shop for six years before selling it and focusing on her family as she's currently a stay at home parent for her two boys. 
 
While focusing on her family, Finstuen still finds time to volunteer in the local schools, serves as president for her church council and continues to do freelance editing and writing work, including serving as the book project manager for an edited collection published by Oxford University Press.