When Rachel Mullen was on the volleyball team at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, she suffered a few injuries that took her off the court.
Mullen, who graduated from SJO in 2015, said those injuries made her realize the importance of teamwork.
“I know what it is like to have to step into the role of being a supportive teammate and helping where I am needed,” she said.
Those skills are coming in handy in Mullen’s new role.
The University of Illinois senior is now a manager for the Illinois volleyball team.
The Illini, led by second-year coach Chris Tamas, has had a hugely successful season this year, taking a 30-3 record into an NCAA tournament Sweet 16 match against Marquette at 11 a.m. on Friday at Huff Hall in Champaign.
This is the team’s second trip to this stage of the NCAA tournament under Tamas.
Last year, they defeated Hawaii and Washington but lost to Michigan State in four sets during the regional semifinal appearance.
This year, Illinois sailed passed Eastern Michigan in three sets last Friday night during its first-round NCAA tournament match and defeated Louisville in four sets last Saturday night during its second-round NCAA tournament match to reach the Sweet 16.
The Illini defeated Marquette 25-19, 25-16 at Huff Hall Friday afternoon to advance to the Elite 8 where they will face Wisconsin on at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Illini and Badgers split matches during the 2018 season.
Mullen said no matter what happens, she feels inspired by how much success this team has achieved.
“I get to see every day how much work is put in in practice every day,” she said, “and how humbly the girls hold their heads around campus and even on the court.”
Mullen became a manager by meeting the Illini’s director of operations, Andy Wenstrand, through one of the other current managers with the program.
Mullen went to a spring practice to meet the coaches and players.
“They welcomed me with open arms this fall,” she said.
Mullen’s typical day starts at 8 a.m. She gets ready for classes and is working on her coursework from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
She then goes to volleyball practice around 3 p.m.
At practice, she arrives 30 to 45 minutes before the players to help get everything set up.
She then helps run practice, whether it is throwing in free balls or tossing balls for coaches to hit.
“Wherever a hand is needed, I help,” she said.
She then helps tear down practice afterwards.
She is usually home after 6 p.m. where she eats dinner and does her homework.
Then she repeats her schedule the next day.
Mullen’s schedule may be grueling, but for her, it is worth it.
“The best part about being a manager is being a part of a team that genuinely cares for each other,” Mullen said.
Mullen said she also values learning from coaches who are eager to teach and improve the skills of the players, but also work to improve their minds and the way they think.
Being around the team so much, Mullen has gained insight into what makes them so successful — and it is not just their athleticism.
“I believe work ethic and chemistry is a big part of what makes this team so successful,” she said. “They come into practice every day and give 110 percent and push one another so hard.”
Mullen said she doesn’t think the average person realizes that volleyball is one of the hardest team sports out there. Mullen said in basketball, which she also played at SJO, the team can rely on one person to make half its points while the other players may not contribute as many points to win the game. The same can’t be said for volleyball.
“In volleyball, if one person is not doing their job then the team will not succeed,” said Mullen, who started her college career by playing volleyball at Lake Land Community College in Mattoon. “That is what is so great about this group of girls. Everyone puts in so much effort and everyone exceeds at their position.”
Mullen said she is looking forward to watching the team’s hard work pay off this weekend. Two more wins this weekend, and the Illini would advance to next week’s Final Four in Minneapolis. The national semifinals are set for next Thursday evening at the Target Center, with the national championship match set for 8 p.m. next Saturday.
“They have worked their tails off for this,” Mullen said. “After making the Sweet 16 last year, I knew the team had potential to make another postseason run this year because there were so many returning players. After seeing all the hard work the girls put in during the pre-season and having a 14-0 start, I just had a feeling this team was going to do big things this year.”
