Digging Deeper: The Journey of Kennedy Muff

It was the energy. It was the pure excitement. It was the goosebumps on your skin that told you where you were that Sunday afternoon. It was the intensity filling every corner of the O’Connell Center, the 10,000 pom poms waving simultaneously that made you forget everything else going on in the world outside that arena.

Up two sets to none, with the momentum on their side, the Florida Gators seemed to have a wave of dominance that would shock the volleyball world. As the crowd roared after each point, and the buzzer glared through the court, everything seemed to be going right. Until, suddenly, it all went left.

All at once, the air was sucked out of the O’Dome, its silence spread across the sea of fans as the worst-case scenario became reality.

Jumping up to bat down a Wisconsin hit from the right side of the net, Alexis Stucky, star setter for the Gators and reigning SEC Freshman of The Year, landed awkwardly, twisting her knee and crumbling to the floor. She clutched her knee and began to cry out in pain. Florida knew it was in trouble, losing its best player and quarterback-like leader.

It was time for an unsung leader to step up and fill the gap, holding the glue of the team together. And so began Kennedy Muff’s journey on the court with the Gators. But her real story began long before her number was called that day, preparing her for the biggest stage of her life.

Beginnings

From Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the southeastern tip of the state cozying up to Lake Michigan, Kennedy Muff grew up a competitor in an athletic family. Volleyball is simply in her veins, as her mother, Rebecca Muff, was a collegiate volleyball player at Thomas Moore College before stepping into coaching full time. She has now directed and coached at Sky High Volleyball Club and Epic Volleyball in Chicago for 15 years.

Kennedy’s older brother, Connor, also played collegiately and grew up feeding her competitive drive while being each other’s biggest fans. “There’s no one that screams louder for me in the stands than him,” Kennedy said. “He’s still my number one fan to this day.” The siblings currently hold the all-time  assist record for boy’s and girl’s volleyball at Westosha Central High School.

“I knew from a pretty early age because she had the right work ethic,” Rebecca said about when she realized Kennedy had the talent to play at the next level.

“She did what coaches said and truly loved to go the extra mile in whatever she did. Kennedy holds that competitiveness within our family.”

“My mom has always been my biggest mentor,” Kennedy said about where she gets that drive. Rebecca is currently battling breast cancer, which inspires her daughter to be strong like her, further allowing Rebecca to play through Kennedy.

And We’re Off

As she developed into a collegiate level player, Kennedy would decide to attend Flagler College, a Division II school in St. Augustine, Florida, some 1,138 miles away from home. She spent four years there as a team captain for the Saints volleyball team, where she connected with another mentor and leader, head coach Skylar Lopas.

Lopas was hired before Kennedy’s senior season in 2022. She played a vital role in his hiring process, by working very closely with the athletic department as part of the interviewing panel. Coach Lopas will never forget his first day as the new coach when he arrived, realizing who the true leader would be.

I Remember When

At 7:30 in the morning, Lopas walked into the Saint’s gym fiddling with his keys when he heard sounds of volleyballs and shoes squeaking. “It’s the middle of May, so everyone’s home on summer vacation,” Lopas said. “I go take a look at what’s going on and Kennedy’s actually in the gym.” Lopas was astonished to see a player there so early and especially in the offseason.

“She brought a friend with her bright and early to toss her balls so she can get her setting work in, before going to work at a boutique later that day,” he noted.

“That touches on how she was a leader by example,” Lopas emphasized. “But she was also a leader through her competitive spirit. She was a leader through emotion and she was a leader through performance.”

That season, Kennedy led the Saints to a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 playoff run, collecting her third All-PBC Setter of the Year and second AVCA All-Southeast Region career awards.

On The Radar

Later that summer before the historic season, Kennedy had an unusual opportunity to put herself on the Florida Gators radar.

When Lopas accepted the position at Flagler, he was still working as an assistant under head volleyball coach, Mary Wise, at the University of Florida. He oversaw running coaches’ camps to finish out the summer and asked Kennedy along with a few others to work the camp.

“It’s such a good example of how you do anything is how you do everything,” said Lopas. “Kennedy stood out from the very beginning being one of the most vocal and passionate coaches.” At the time of the camp, Alexis Stucky was hurt with a meniscus injury and couldn’t help, so Kennedy was the only college setter in the gym during the open scrimmages.

“Absolutely, 100% not,” Kennedy said looking back on the irony of it being the first time she stepped in for a talented, but sidelined Stucky.

“I was like, alright, I’m just going to try my best because these girls are the best of the best right now.”

“I bonded with them right away,” she said. “I remember setting AC Fitzpatrick go balls and immediately she was hitting them, and I thought, ‘This is so awesome.’ I was nervous, but it was so fun.” Following the camp, she noted how she exchanged contacts with Gabbi Essix and formed an instant relationship that would carry with her.

A New Home

After graduating from Flagler, she decided to take another year to finish her collegiate and academic career, looking for her next school.

Though Lopas and his staff wished to keep her for a fifth year, he believed Muff had juiced everything out of Flagler, both on and off the court. “Something I learned from Mary Wise is everything must be a win-win,” he pointed out when Coach Wise came knocking in the offseason. “By Kennedy attacking everything with her best efforts from the beginning, that really played an influence in getting Florida’s attention.” Muff committed to Florida in February and six days after graduation in May, she headed to training camp and began her new role with the Florida Gators.

Amidst the excitement, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in March after a positive mammogram. Muff was posed with an important question by her mother.

“She went to Florida to help Stuckey and Mary win a national championship,” Rebecca Muff said. “I asked her if she could go change a program as a non-starter because of what she wanted for all those years. Kennedy said, ‘Yes’ and was ready for it all.”

How Does It Feel?

“Refreshing,” is the word Muff used to label her time at Florida. “Right away, I felt like this group of girls was my tribe,” she said. “They’re my girl tribe. It’s something that I haven’t really felt before.” The like-minded goal of striving towards a championship, but also caring for each other as people is what Kennedy loves most about being a Gator. “It’s truly amazing and hard to say I’m closest with a certain player because we’re all so close in many different ways.”

As the 2023 season for Muff and the Florida Gators began in perfect fashion, the No. 4 Gators were set to face the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers; a game Kennedy circled on her calendar and was looking forward to since stepping foot on campus. The late nights, extra reps and the film sessions would prepare her for the biggest stage of her life when she least expected her name to be called.

To Kennedy Muff, it was much deeper than a game.

Familiar Faces

Being from Wisconsin, Kennedy grew up wanting to be a Badger since she was eight years old. By going to camps, playing alongside legendary head coach, Kelly Sheffield, and many current players through club volleyball, this game was deeper for her.

The star player for the Gators went down in front of a record setting crowd in the O’Dome on Sept. 17. Up two sets to none in the third set with a crucial win in reach, Muff’s name would be called. She would once again to step in for Stucky. However, this time as teammates in the biggest game of her life.

“I was immediately devastated because Stucky is my rock, and I’ve torn my ACL and MCL before too,” Muff recalled. “Coach Mary looked at me and said, ‘Muff you got this’ then I went into fight or flight mode, blanking on everything else going on.”

Stars Align

Off the court, Kennedy’s family made the distant trip from Wisconsin for their first Gator match ever. “That moment was really big for me,” she said, as her mother Rebecca was there and has been going through breast cancer treatments since February.

All the stars aligned that day for the Muff family. Rebecca being able to attend was a miracle of its own. “The doctors gave me a window between treatment,” Rebecca said. “If I was going to any game, it was that weekend and it happened to fall on the Wisconsin game. So that was a big deal.”

Rebecca would have a similar reaction to her daughter’s name being called. She was initially concerned for Stucky’s family. “To be very honest, I was flooded with emotion for Stucky and the team,” she said. “We were in shock. At first, I actually didn’t even think about the fact that Kennedy was going in.”

“I’ve been in that position as a coach and a mother. It’s so heartbreaking.” 

Rebecca’s phone began buzzing faster than a dinner bell at a packed restaurant, with texts and calls from all over. However, she turned her phone off and immersed herself in the bittersweet moment to watch her daughter help the Gators fight.

Keep It Together

Kennedy quickly shifted into game mode and the bond between her teammates carried her the most. “My family’s here… These girls have my back and I’m supported,” she told herself. “I needed to stay calm and collected for the rest of them and put on a smile to bring as much joy as I could to them. At that point it was deeper.” Though Kennedy held the glue for the team and posted 28 assists, the Gators fell just short. The match ended after a 5-set dog fight in a dramatic 15-13 last set loss.

However, it was deeper than volleyball on that Sunday afternoon for Kennedy and the Muff family; it was life. “That was a really big moment for me to play in front of my mom at that time, having not been able to see her for a while during all of her treatments and everything she was going through,” Kennedy nodded, thinking about the few crucial moments with her mom immediately after the game.

Feel My Touch

Rebecca made her way down towards the court after the game while people were jumping over the railing to join their daughters, but the treatments left her barely able to walk at the time. So, Kennedy reached over the railing of the stands to hug her mom and feel her embrace. “I just told her I was really proud of her as we both got teary eyed,” she said. “I haven’t even been able to see her face-to-face since my treatment, so I think all of our friends in the arena knew how special that moment was to us.”

Up For The Challenge

Going forward, Muff knows the challenge she has ahead of her the rest of the season, filling the gap for Stucky while keeping a championship run alive.

Competing for Division II Flagler in the Peach Belt Conference, Muff was one of the tallest setter in the conference. At Division I Florida, Muff is one of the smallest setters in the Southeastern Conference. “It’s something I was willing to take on” Muff boldly said. She has continued to lean into her teammates as they feed her go-getter mentality.

“Elli McKissick in the back row, even last night was like, ‘Muff I want a block from you. Let’s go!’ and that helps my confidence even if I’m not the biggest one out there.”

As Muff spends more time on the court gelling with the rotations, she feels more comfortable every day to help her team compete. “I take a lot of time focusing on journaling and visualizing off the court what all of my goals are,” she said of learning to adjust.

Kennedy also pointed out how refreshing it is for her to get out of team-issued gear and be a simple human with her teammates and closest friends. “We are just always there for each other no matter what and no matter when.”

Dig Deeper

Volleyball can be life. It can also be just a sport. Kennedy Muff has found a way to dig deeper into the meaning of what this game has brought to her on and off the court. She isn’t letting a single moment go to waste.

“These are moments that I’m never going to get back,” she said.

“And having my career end in the next couple of weeks, which is really sad, but I just want to embrace every second I can with these girls.”