It’s not often that a visit to Disney World is overshadowed by something else, but that’s exactly what happened last weekend when Ashley Mullen and the Liberty (Mo.) volleyball team traveled to Orlando, Fla.

The Blue Jays competed in the KSA Events Fall Classic Volleyball Tournament, and that’s where the real magic took place. Mullen earned MVP honors as Liberty went 7-0 and didn’t drop a single set on their way to securing first place at the showcase.

In 14 sets played, the 5-foot-10 senior setter had 126 assists, 16 aces with a 93.8 percent service, 14 digs, three blocks and three kills, adding another accolade in the aftermath — JWS Next Player of the Week.

“There was a lot of team bonding throughout that entire experience. It was also really tiring,” Mullen said. “You’re walking around for five to seven hours after you’ve just played however many matches of volleyball where you’re running and jumping, so it was definitely a physical challenge as well. But it was a really fun experience.”

So proud of our Jays! After an amazing 4 days in Orlando we are returning home Champions of the KSA Volleyball Tournament. Congrats to our #16 @ashleymullen_16 named MVP & HBD to our #18 @jrenfro18 who turned 18 this week! So many awesome memories w/ this special group! #Sivako pic.twitter.com/D9QjMZ7NRY

— LHS Volleyball (@jaysvb) September 4, 2022

The Blue Jays returned home and stuck to their winning ways on Tuesday, sweeping Lee’s Summit in a 3-0 decision. The UCLA commit, ranked No. 12 in the nation in JWS’ high school player rankings, didn’t slow down a bit, amassing 31 assists to go along with six digs and two blocks.

Mullen is one of two co-captains who have led the way for Liberty, now 11-0 on the season after knocking off Park Hill 3-2 on Thursday evening.

“As the setter and what we call the quarterback of the team, she’s got a big responsibility,” Blue Jays coach April Fleming said. “She touches the ball just about every single time it comes across the net, so for her to play consistent volleyball, that just makes our team better and helps our team go.”

Mullen, one of six seniors on this year’s Liberty squad, is coming off a 2021 campaign in which she recorded 1,094 assists. She verbally committed to the Bruins program in early September, choosing UCLA over NC State in the end. Mullen said she was drawn to the two programs because both head coaches were setter coaches and had experience with USA Volleyball.

“The experience and consistency that she brings to our team is huge,” Fleming said about Mullen. “A lot of our success is because we have a girl that can run and spread out our offense.”

In June, Mullen was selected to compete at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando in December along with 23 other standout high school players. She will be joined by Team Dynasty club volleyball teammate Calissa Minatee, a Minnesota commit who’s currently a senior at North Kansas City (Mo.).

“I think that once I was selected and heard my name, it was a little bit of a relief, but it was really exciting,” Mullen said. “To know that I’m going to get to play with some of the best players in the country, it’s pretty cool.”

Beyond blessed to be invited to the Under Armour All-America game in Orlando this upcoming December. Thank you @uanextvolleyball and @vballrecruiter for the opportunity! pic.twitter.com/Yd5N7Z89xT

— Ashley Mullen (@ashleymullen_16) June 26, 2022

For now, Mullen is focused on embracing the moment and enjoying her final varsity season at Liberty, including the opportunity to play one final season with her sister, Abigail, a sophomore opposite hitter who helped lead Team USA to a gold-medal finish at the Pan American Cup in July.

“It means a lot. My parents have been watching us play on separate teams for years, and we both know that we’re really good athletes,” Ashley said. “Just knowing that we’re able to play with each other and that we’re also family is pretty cool.”

Mullen has individual goals in mind — she wants to be named Gatorade Missouri Volleyball Player of the Year and win the Evelyn Gates Award, awarded to the top female volleyball player in the Kansas City area — but it all starts with her team’s success.

And there’s no shortage of ambition there, either. She wants to go out a state champion.

“Not every team gets to have a fairytale ending,” Mullen said. “I feel like this team has been through thick and thin. We can totally strive for that state championship. We’ve got to take it one day at a time.

“So far, we’ve had a really good season, and I really think that we can get all the way there.”

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.