By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After four years at Northwest Missouri State, and with a college degree in hand, Sophie McMullen thought she was ready to say goodbye to volleyball and move on with her life.
Washburn has given the McMullen sisters, Sophie (front) and Corinna, their first opportunity to play on the same volleyball team this fall. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"I was done at Northwest, I didn't really want to keep playing and I was like, 'I'll just be done playing. I graduated, I'll go get a job and do my thing,' '' McMullen said.
But a chance meeting with Washburn University coach Chris Herron and the opportunity to play with freshman sister Corinna brought Sophie back to the sport.
"I've always been friends with coach Herron,'' McMullen said. "He recruited me at a younger age so when Corinna was like, 'Yeah, I'm going to Washburn,' I was like, 'That's great, how fun.'
"I talked to coach at a tournament and told him I was done playing volleyball and he said, 'Why don't you come play with your sister? I would love to have you on my team, I've always wanted you on my team and why not?' ''
Playing on the same team was something the former Louisburg High School stars had discussed, but had faced the reality that it might never happen.
"We've always said how cool it would be to play together, but we never got the opportunity in high school because she became a freshman after I graduated high school,'' Sophie said. "But we always practiced together in club volleyball, we were always playing in the house together.
"We were like, 'It would be so cool, but it would never end up working either way.' ''
Sophie McMullen, who had two years of eligibility remaining due to redshirt and COVID years, was intrigued by the possiblity of coming to Washburn after talking with Herron, but wanted to make sure it was OK with little sister before making her final decision.
"I talked to Corinna and she was like, 'Hmm, I don't know. That's my kind of thing and let me think about it,' '' McMullen recalled. "About four days later she said, 'Sophie, I think it would be so cool for us to play together.' I talked to coach and it all worked out.''
The McMullens got their first opportunity to be on the court together in last weekend's Nebraska-Kearney Fall Classic, starting all four matches as the No. 2-ranked Ichabods went 4-0 to open the season.
Sophie, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter/defensive specialist, contributed eight service aces and 24 digs on the weekend while Corinna, a 5-5 setter, led the Ichabods with 72 assists and added 20 digs.
The McMullens are in Tennessee this weekend to compete for Washburn in the Lee Invitational and Sophie said getting the chance to play on the same team with her sister is everything she thought it could me.
"Incredible, it's been so fun,'' McMullen said. "We've had some rough patches, but that's what you get when you play with your sister. I thought the most rewarding feeling was getting the big dig or getting the big kill, but I've realized what's more rewarding is getting the big kill off my sister's set.
"Just being on the court with her and seeing her and being near her playing volleyball together on the same team is so different than what I thought it would be and it's been very rewarding for sure.''
