Saint Francis women's volleyball has a new head coach. At 26 years old, Sara McMullen is one of the youngest head coaches in the NCAA, and certainly one of the youngest in D1 Women's Volleyball. But youth does not mean inexperience. McMullen has led teams both on and off the court.
HERO Sports caught up with McMullen and talked to her about her experience as both a player and a coach, and how she landed this new opportunity with Saint Francis University.
(photo courtesy of Saint Francis University athletics)
HERO: Tell us a little about your volleyball playing background.
McMullen: I started playing in 6th grade and fell in love with the sport. After I graduated high school, I played libero for four years at California University of Pennsylvania and was awarded AVCA First-Team All-Region and All-PSAC Second-Team honors.
HERO: Did you start coaching after you graduated college?
McMullen: I did! I started coaching at Washington & Jefferson as a coaching assistant. During my second season, the team had a 15-11 record, which was the best they had in five years.
HERO: That's great! So what made you choose the opportunity to coach at Saint Francis?
McMullen: They had reached out to me as asked if I'd be interested. I always wanted to be a head coach, so it was almost like a dream come true. I knew I had to take it because this would be the best beginning experience as a head coach. I knew when they offered me the job, that I would really be pushed outside of my comfort zone, and that's exactly what I wanted. There are so many great mentors here to help me along the way too. Everyone here is so supportive and really wants me to be successful in this position. I just love the support system within the who Saint Francis community.
HERO: Sounds like an amazing opportunity – you should be very proud of yourself! What are you most looking forward to as head coach?
McMullen: I'm most looking forward to watching the team grow and develop. I can't wait to see them reach their full potential and seeing them constantly want to be better and grow as a team and as individuals. I can't wait to contribute to that growth.
HERO: Is there anything else you'd like fans to know about you and/or the team?
McMullen: I am really looking forward to seeing these girls work as a hard as they can to make conference playoffs – that's our goal this year. My main reason in coaching is knowing that you can make these athletes better, not just as athletes, but also as better people and be a positive role model for them. That is something I really want to focus on for this program – growing as a person an athlete.
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The Red Flash start their season this Friday, August 26, when they welcome NJIT to Philadelphia.
