By FRED KRONER
Ellie Barker will tell you – and correctly so – that her coaches, her teammates past and present and her parents have been instrumental in her upcoming chance to play volleyball at the collegiate level.
A junior at Mahomet-Seymour, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter has already committed to Butler University, in Indianapolis. She will sign a letter of intent in November.
While the credit she willingly passes out is accurate, those that she acknowledged have only been involved with her development since she started playing the sport as an 8-year-old.
There is another arena that can’t be overlooked.
She is the product of a family – and an extended family – whose interest in sports takes on legendary super-fan proportions. Paternal grandparents Barb and Dick Barker fit that description as do maternal grandparents Rick and Jeanene Stephens.
Attending athletic events, especially at the nearby University of Illinois, is as much a part of Ellie Barker’s lifestyle as getting up in the morning.
That’s where her story truly begins.
“I grew up around the U of I, attending their camps and watching their games and each time I was in awe of how tall the girls were, the collegiate volleyball skill level, and what it felt like to be at the games,” Barker said. “I feel like for me growing up around that environment is kind of what has pushed me to love college volleyball so much.
“I knew from the moment I watched those games at a young age that it was something I would dream to be a part of.”
When she accepted an offer from Butler earlier this spring, she knew that dream would soon come to fruition.
“Now it has come so full circle and it almost doesn’t feel real that I will be in those shoes as a collegiate athlete,” she said.
“I am not fully sure of the exact point of when I set my goal of competing at the Division 1 level, but I know it was at a very young age.”
An All-Apollo Conference first-team selection as a junior, Barker blasted 363 kills and also contributed 232 digs, 70 service aces, 41 blocks and 11 assists for a 32-5 Bulldog team.
M-S coach Stan Bergman first began coaching Barker when she was in seventh-grade.
“We tried to progress her pretty quickly,” Bergman said. “We had her do more ‘dance stuff’ than with most seventh-graders. She had the skill level to take on that type of role.
“She is a tremendous kid, so laid back and exciting to watch.”
College coaches can officially contact underclassmen on the June 15 prior to their junior season.
Barker was on the radar of numerous coaches.
“I received messages, emails and calls from schools once recruiting opened up,” Barker said.
That was the good news. The interest came from many levels, Division I all the way to NAIA.
Barker listened, but said, “after some communication, none of those schools were a good fit for me.”
“From the start, when looking for a university, I wanted a place that I knew I would like to attend if I was playing volleyball or not. Most of the schools who asked me to take an official visit, I did not feel like those were schools who would fit that.”
Instead, she focused on her junior season with M-S and then returned to her Illini Elite 17 Black team that features 10 players representing nine different high schools.
She used her spare time to research universities that she had an interest in.
“During school volleyball season there isn’t much recruiting so that was when I took the time to do some more looking to find schools that I believed would fit,” Barker said.
“This club season, I was still in the process of chatting with a few great schools and Butler was more recently one of those. The connections with the other schools never really clicked with me, but with Butler I knew it would be the perfect one.
“After communication started with Butler, it just felt so natural and like it was meant to be. The (recruiting) process is challenging, but with patience, I now know that everything worked out the way God intended.”
Barker began talking with Butler coaches in mid-March, “right after one of the bigger tournaments in Kentucky, called Adidas Bluegrass (March 9-10).
“They watched me at that tournament and contacted me right after.”
Taking an official visit to the campus served to confirm her suspicions.
“I felt really comfortable with the team, coaches, and campus and completely envisioned myself here academically and athletically,” Barker said.
However, the Butler staff did not immediately make an offer.
“Instead, they wanted to watch me play one more time,” Barker said. “I was fortunate enough to have them watch every match of my tournament the weekend after the visit.”
Clearly, the suspicions of the Butler coaches were confirmed with the second look.
“The following day, I received a call from (Head) Coach (Kyle) Shondell officially offering me a spot on the roster,” Barker said. “It was an amazing feeling and a no-brainer for me.
“I didn’t need any time to think about it and soon after the call I responded with an enthusiastic ‘Yes.’”
As well as she has played during her three years on varsity at M-S, Bergman believes Barker’s best volleyball is in the future.
“Sometimes kids don’t peak until they get to college,” Bergman said. “She will grow and get better.
“It’s fantastic that she got such a great offer. She is going to a staff that is chock full of knowledge. It’s exciting to think what she will learn from this staff.”
In the volleyball world – especially in Indiana – the Shondell family is as respected in the sport as former Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt was in hers.
Kyle Shondell’s father, Dave Shondell, is the women’s volleyball head coach at Purdue. In 21 seasons, he has directed 18 teams into the NCAA tournament while compiling a record of 458-226. (Counting his years as a high school coach, Dave Shondell’s career record is 1,053-341.
Kyle Shondell’s grandfather, Don Shondell, founded the Ball State University men’s and women’s volleyball programs. He ranks second in NCAA history for career wins (769-280-6) in men’s volleyball.
Kyle Shondell’s uncle, John Shondell, is an assistant coach at Purdue.
And Kyle Shondell?
The 2012 Purdue graduate was the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2022 (while at Indiana Tech) and, covering the various teams he has coached, owns a 159-104 career record.
Between the three men, that totals out to 1,981 all-time volleyball wins.
In her younger years, Barker was involved with activities such as dance, tennis, basketball and golf.
Volleyball has been her focus since junior high.
“When I began to play volleyball, everything just clicked and it became everything to me,” she said. “Since it is really the only sport I have played since middle school, I never questioned not playing it in college.
“Volleyball has many appeals to me, but one of my favorites is that it is such a small family environment. I played many individual sports, but being with a team is something I really enjoy.
“Another appeal to me is how much it challenges me mentally and physically. I have learned so much through the sport that has helped me to become better on and off the court.”
Barker is looking forward to the opportunities that await.
“I believe there is so much more I have to accomplish in my volleyball career, and I believe under the coaching of the Butler staff I will be able to reach that point,” she said. “Coach Shondell, and his family are very well known and respected in the Indiana volleyball world and beyond, and I am extremely excited to play under his coaching.
“I am ready for whatever is to come and look forward to reaching my full potential by whatever means.”
As for the people who have played pivotal roles in her development, Barker cites both Bergman and Illini Elite coach Chris Owens.
“Having Coach Bergman as my coach since seventh grade has really pushed me to be who I am today,” Barker said. “He has always seen my potential and he has really pushed me to be the best player I can be.”
Owens has made a similar impact.
“Another coach who really made me love volleyball more than anything is one of my club coaches, Chris Owens,” Baeker said. “I have had Chris as my coach for the past two years, and his coaching style has brought so much enjoyment to the game.
“He pushes me to become better, but he lets us players have a voice as well and encourages us to have fun on and off the court.”
Being promoted to the varsity with the Bulldogs as a freshman was both intimidating and inspiring for Barker.
“That was definitely something very motivating for me,” she said. “It reminded and encouraged me that I have the potential to be a great volleyball player.
“It also showed me a whole new world beyond middle school volleyball. I learned that there are so many amazing volleyball players and I will always have to work hard.”
At M-S, Barker played alongside Class 3A all-stater Avery Allen, a senior who has also committed to a Division I program. Allen plans to pursue beach volleyball at Boise State.
“Having Avery Allen on my team has shown me what a great athlete and competitor looks like and trains like,” Barker said. “She has pushed me to become better and set an amazing example for me of what hard work can do.”
During the entire time both Allen and Barker have played for the Bulldogs, the school has captured Apollo Conference championships in volleyball. The streak now stands at four.
Barker’s parents, Brad and Carrie, have done more than serve as cheerleaders. A former swimmer at Southern Illinois University, Brad Barker has helped to coordinate the recruiting process.
“Someone who has been there for me through everything has been my dad,” Barker said. “He was a D1 athlete, therefore he knew what it would take to get me to where I am today.
“He has held me accountable and did everything to support me, driving me to tournaments, recording my games so I could make highlight videos for recruiting and many more things.
“My parents have done so much for me in training, traveling, and being there for me through all the ups and downs.”
Barker understands that the projected Butler roster, for when she arrives on campus, may change before she enrolls.
“With the transfer portal, you never know what your team will look like a year from now, but I see myself working hard and competing to be on the court as an outside,” she said. “I plan to train and work as hard as possible to be ready.
“I believe one of my strengths is the background and knowledge I have about volleyball. Since I have been playing for so long, my court-awareness is very high and I can figure out how to score, even if it isn’t hitting the ball as hard as I can.
“What I am learning from other people’s experience is that I can only control what I can do.”
The distance from Mahomet to Indianapolis is approximately 135 miles.
“I have a very close relationship with my immediate family (including freshman sister Kate) and my extended family, therefore it will be difficult leaving them, but I know they will take any opportunity to visit me whenever they can,” Barker said. “All of my family is in the Champaign area or in Cincinnati, so I will be right in the middle.
“I don’t see the transition being too difficult, simply because I already have friends and support in the Indy area. The drive to the university is just around two hours, which I believe is the perfect location for what I was looking for in a college.”
The Barker family has had a connection to the Indianapolis area for years.
“After my parents graduated college, they moved from Champaign to Fishers, Ind., which is a suburb only a few minutes outside of Indy,” Ellie Barker said. “They lived there for a while, and I lived there as well for the first year of my life.
“Over the years, we have all just grown a strong love for the Indy area and I knew that is somewhere I would love to attend college at.”
The number of friends and acquaintances in the area will serve as a buffer when the teen-ager moves away to start college.
“I know that I will have people just like family to be there to support me and help out whenever I will need it,” Barker said. “It was less of a desire to leave the immediate area, instead I wanted to move to an area where I would still feel a strong connection to.”
Barker plans to major in business with a minor in graphic design.
“I have always wanted to do something along the lines of art, so graphic design really stood out to me,” she said. “In 10 years I see myself potentially running my own small business.”
Barker’s freshman year at M-S was the fall of 2021. She was one of the two ninth-graders who received the most varsity playing time on varsity.
The other was 6-5 middle blocker Talia Francom, whose family moved to Cary, N.C., during the summer of 2022.
Francom has also committed to a Division I program, North Carolina State.
“It has been so awesome to see how far she has come and I know she will do great things playing for a large D1 University,” Barker said. “It is so cool to me how much hard work and dedication we have both put in since middle school to get to the point where we are today.”
Many of Barker’s accomplishments and achievements have been well-documented, but there’s one objective she has that no set of statistics will be able to measure.
“I hope I can encourage other girls to work hard towards their goals,” Barker said.
