This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of the FCA Donor Publication. The FCA publication is a gift from our FCA staff to all donors giving $50 or more annually. For more information about giving, visit here.
For volleyball outside hitter Kyndal Stowers, sports has always been part of her life — and that of her family. Her parents played professionally, and her brother Eli recently finished his college career as a tight end at Vanderbilt and is entering the NFL Draft.
Faith has also been a part of Stowers’ life. But the Denton, Texas, native’s trust in the Lord has been tested through numerous medical setbacks, including medical retirement at Baylor University. The plan-driven Stowers had to step back and let God take over her life, finding solace in God’s promises. After she transferred to Texas A&M, God revived a weary heart and paved a path of great purpose.
Last December, Stowers, a sophomore, helped lead the third-seeded Aggies to their first NCAA volleyball championship as they toppled three No. 1 seeds in the tournament and capped off a 29-4 season with a dominating straight-sets win over Kentucky in the final. Stowers earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and has a testimony that stands the test of trial.
How has your volleyball and faith journey evolved?
I started playing when I was 9, and my U13 club team won a national championship in our first year. All my family are believers, and I grew up with Bible studies at my house. It was high school when I first started to learn what it meant to play your sport for the Lord and not for the success of it.
In college, my platform grew more and I started to realize that people are watching me, and it’s not about me, so I learned to direct everything to the Lord. Volleyball has meant the world to me, and I saw that it was a vessel to share God.
How did God meet you in your medical struggles?
I tore my left labrum in high school and had surgery. It was the first time I didn’t have sports, and not being able to do anything was odd. But that was when I started to realize there is more of a relationship with Jesus rather than going to church as a checklist. Jesus wasn’t just my way to heaven, but He was also there with me to have a relationship now.
Then, in college at Baylor University, I had four concussions and was put on medical retirement. My whole life was sports. Sports were a stability, and then they were gone. So I was like, “God, I need You.” It was a full reliance of the Lord, walking by blind faith.
How did your faith grow during all the uncertainty?
I couldn’t catch a break — tore my labrum, had all these concussions, medical retirement. I prayed for so long for direction and understanding. For a long time, I’ve felt like my prayers weren’t being answered. I prayed and read Job and was reminded of Ruth, Esther and Ecclesiastes — “for such a time as this.” It was like God said, “I promise you it’s coming. I haven’t left you.”
When they started being answered, I was like, “God, You hear me and love me.” No human could write this story or make it up. I picked the number 37 after Luke 1:37, for nothing is impossible with God. Even a medical retirement isn’t impossible with Him. He means His promises and is faithful to them.
How did FCA play a part in your journey?
I was part of FCA since I got to Baylor in January 2023. I went that entire spring and was asked to be a leader. I went to FCA College Weekend and worked different camps.
When I was leaving Baylor, I prayed for good community. When I came to A&M, the FCA team already knew my brother and his character and asked me to be a leader before I even set foot on campus. I shed tears over leaving all the people I built close relationships with, but FCA here, they’ve become my family. It was another example of God being faithful.
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What would you say to someone who is going through injuries or waiting on prayer?
It’s hard, and it’s going to be hard. I wish someone had told me that. You can say “God has a plan” and I know that, but to have sympathy within the hard[ness] of it. I was always trying to put on this perfect smile all the time. But God sees you, and the verse in 1 Corinthians 12 about His power being made perfect in weakness is a reminder. He loves to show His power when we are weak. It shows how much we rely on Him because we aren’t capable.
What was God showing you about Himself in those times?
If you’re medically retired, you’re done playing sports. But I didn’t want to be. When I was at Baylor, I was very much a detail-oriented, scheduled person. I knew what was going to happen, or at least somewhat of an idea. After being medically retired, you have to talk to the sports psychologist, and he was like, “Do you know what you want to do now?” I had no idea. It was like a black abyss.
He gave me this picture of being in a huge field and you have a flashlight pointing forward to see what’s in the distance, but you’re not going to be able to see anything in the pitch-black dark of night. But if you turn the flashlight and point it at your feet, you’ll know exactly what the next step is.
I held onto that and thought of Proverbs 16:9: “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” I started praying for the next step, asking, “God, what do You want me to do right now?” I spent months in prayer, wanting to know if I should step away from volleyball or keep going, but nothing was falling into place. The schools I was looking to transfer to weren’t getting back to me on medical clearance, but Texas A&M was. I didn’t want to go there, but I saw God making it clear.
What moments stuck out to you this last year?
When I was still at Baylor, I’d go spend time with the Lord all the time. I’d take my car somewhere and just sit at sunset, do a Bible study and pray. It has been three months of not knowing what I was doing. I talked to my friend—we had gone to an FCA College Weekend together—and she suggested I try fasting. So I did and was praying, “God, just show me something. I need to know which direction to shift my focus.”
I have aphantasia where I can’t see mental images. But I was at a spot looking at the sunset, and it looked like I was watching a movie: It was the back of my head wearing a jersey, and there was confetti falling. I never see anything in my head, so it seemed pretty clear to me to keep playing.
Fast forward a year later, we started the season [at Texas A&M] and I just kept thinking of the word “gratitude.” I was so grateful to be on the court and wearing a jersey again. It was awesome.
Then we have the crazy tournament run, and I remember sitting there the night before the national championship thinking, “Whether or not we win tomorrow, I’ll be standing on a court in a jersey and there will be confetti falling.” It sunk in and I got chills. Even if we lose, God fulfilled that promise.
Then we won, and I was bawling. When the confetti started falling, I was just staring at the ceiling because I couldn’t believe what was happening. I couldn’t stop crying because I was like, “God, thank You so much.”
-FCA-
Photos courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics