Who knew that a sport you started playing when you were 12 years old would lead you to attend college on a full scholarship, travel around the world, meet some of your best friends, and experience moments you could only ever dream of? For Sherridan Atkinson, this is one of the questions she often returns to when reflecting on her journey as a volleyball player. A journey filled with highs and lows, but one that has taught her about the importance of personal growth, patience, and—most importantly—faith. It was during her time in college, at Purdue University, that the possibility of playing volleyball professionally was unearthed. From hearing about alumni playing overseas to seeing former teammates on careers of their own, it was clear that this was an avenue she could pursue and find success in upon graduation. Sure enough, she did just that. After her time at Purdue, Sherridan headed to Turkey and officially embarked on her pro career. This was just the beginning.
From Turkey to Korea to France to Greece, Sherridan would go on to play in a variety of countries and earn an array of accolades—including a French Cup championship, a Greek league championship, and an MVP honor. It wasn't all smooth sailing though. During her first few seasons, she recalls this continuous feeling of emptiness, unfulfillment, and constant need for external validation despite any experienced success. "I just felt very unwhole. I felt like I was always striving to do something to prove something to someone," Sherridan shares. It was then where she decided to turn within, begin to transform her mindset, and reconnect with her faith. She hasn't looked back since. Over the past few years, Sherridan
has redefined her source of peace, happiness and joy; and also discovered her passion for sharing her life experiences with others through the world of digital media and content creation. As she heads into her seventh year as a pro, Sherridan is excited to continue playing the sport she loves, exploring the world, creating unforgettable memories, building connections, embracing the ebbs and flows of life, and paying it forward. Through it all, there is an important lesson that remains at the forefront of her mind and continues to guide her day in and day out: faith over fear will always reign supreme.
Let’s start with your time in college! After a season at Long Beach State you transferred to Purdue and continued your career there—improving your game season after season. Reflecting back, how do you think your game elevated throughout your time in college to prepare you for the professional level?
I would say the coaches knew a lot about volleyball. They were very smart about the game, and having competition in the Big Ten really prepares you for overseas. Most of the girls that are playing in leagues overseas—at a high level at least—came from the Big Ten. A lot of girls that are playing on the national team right now were playing in the Big Ten; so just the quality of our league already gave me a good look at tough competition. When I went to the pros, it wasn't like a big shock. Obviously, you have girls that have been playing for 15-20 years or are Olympians or are really experienced, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. I didn't feel like I couldn't hold my own. I would also say that we had a really good support system at Purdue of: “What do you want to do after college? The pros are an option.” I really didn't know that the pros were an option. They have so many girls that have gone overseas and played professionally, so they already kind of had contracts and gave me the rundown (of things). You know, my last two years were really good—being an All-American both years and all those things—, so it kind of seemed like the natural way. There wasn't really much thought into it.
Take us through that journey of beginning your professional volleyball career then. How was that transition from college to the pros like for you?
It was difficult. There was no heads-up. Maybe it was, you know, me not having a big enough grasp with the world at the time; but I didn't know where Turkey was. I didn't know what to expect going into a foreign country. I also went by myself, right? My parents didn't come with me. So I was just like a 22-year-old kid, fresh out of college, that (once) essentially had everything down packed and I was kind of that player; and now was going to a new country, a new team where I had to earn my stripes all over again. You know, I had my agent which was nice. But, when I first got there, I was just living on a prayer. Literally. I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, the team I played for—Galatasaray—had an American who was older than me. Her name was Cursty (Jackson) and she was like a big sister to me. Showed me the ropes a little bit, you know? Then my time there…there's so many Americans in Istanbul in different sports teams—basketball, soccer, whatever—so I got to meet them and they kind of became like big brothers and sisters to me. Eventually, I found my way.
You’ve played in Turkey, Korea, France, and Greece throughout your career. What are some key takeaways or lessons that you've learned and would share with people that want to play professional volleyball overseas as well?