Benet senior Sophia Pursley’s great-grandfather has never seen her play in person.
Yet he is the inspiration for her decision to lead a life of service.
“It’s hard for him to travel, but we send him videos,” Pursley said. “I saw him this past summer, and maybe every couple weeks we’ll talk over the phone.”
Pursley, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, has committed to Army, where she will continue a family legacy. Her great-grandfather is retired Lt. Gen. Robert E. Pursley, a 1949 graduate of West Point. He became an Air Force pilot who flew 50 combat missions in a B-26 bomber in the Korean War and later worked in the office of the secretary of defense. Now 97, he lives in Connecticut.
“I’ve grown up my whole life being an Army fan, and when I was little, we would go to football games with him at West Point,” Sophia Pursley said. “My dad’s side of the family has a lot of history with the military, so I’ve grown up very patriotic.
“When my club coach asked me if I would be interested (in playing for Army), I said yeah. I’m super excited because the chance to play college volleyball has always been a dream of mine. To also get an amazing education and to serve the country, I’m looking forward to that.”
Upon graduating from West Point, Pursley would be commissioned as a second lieutenant and be required to serve five years of active duty. She knows she may have to risk her life defending her country.
“I’ve definitely thought about that,” Pursley said. “I see life as a long journey, and so getting out of the Army at 27, I still see my life as just beginning.
“It might be five years, but it is five years to serve a country I am very proud of. I will either stay in it with a job I love, or if I leave, I will be set for life with a West Point degree.”
That’s the perspective of a teenager wise beyond her years.
“If you’re making decisions based on fear, you’re probably going to miss out on things in life,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “She’s not making the decision based on fear. She’s making the decision based on what she thinks she can be and what she can do and what she can provide.”
Pursley does a lot for the Redwings (27-0), too, although statistics don’t show it. On a state championship contender with 11 Division I commits, she comes off the bench in most matches but usually does not play in big ones like Benet’s 25-12, 25-15 victory against Normal West in the Scholastic Cup championship match at Great Lakes Center in Aurora on Saturday.
Benet senior middle Gaby Stasys, a Yale commit, has something in common with Pursley.
“Me and Sophia have a lot of classes together,” Stasys said. “We’ve always been in higher classes, so we know about the work effort that it takes to do that. We know we need to prepare for our future.”
Pursley helps the Redwings prepare for their biggest tests by always giving it her all, a trait she learned from her father, Jim, who played linebacker at Penn State.
“Sophia Pursley is a huge reason for our success,” Stasys said. “At practice, her hitting against us puts us in a great position against other teams because we’re ready for those big swings.”
While Pursley might start on any other high school team, she has adapted to her backup role.
“We’re way better as a team with her on it with her attitude, how positive she is,” Baker said. “It’s not easy for her.
“We know that she wants to be on the court, but we’re just making volleyball decisions. They’re not personal. If we were making personal decisions, I’d want her on the floor because she’s such a great kid — not that everyone’s not.”
Pursley, who hopes to become a doctor, realizes the greater goal on the court is team success.
“It’s hard sometimes, but what I’ve learned is everyone is on this team for a reason and everybody is a part of its success,” she said. “I chose to play a team sport, and so it’s about the collective ‘we’ and not ‘me.’
“You can be a leader off the court, and in life you’re not always going to get to be the star. I get to learn this lesson now, so it will serve me well.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
