An unexpected dream come true

The Pro Volleyball Federation’s annual draft is not run in a way that would remind anyone of the uber-popular NBA and NFL drafts each season.

For one, the PVF’s draft takes place when college volleyball seasons are still ongoing, as it did on Monday afternoon of this week.

For two, there are no highly publicized mock drafts or Mel Kiper Jr.’s to help volleyball fans get a hold on how things will go on draft day.

As it turns out, that uncertainty extends to the players being drafted, as well.

Take KU setter Camryn Turner for instance. The senior from Topeka who will go down among KU’s all-time greats had no idea that she was going to be drafted on Monday. But she and her mom cozied up in her bedroom to watch the online draft just in case.

“She was like, ‘We’re watching it,’” Turner recalled of her mom, Calli, insisting on having the mother-daughter watch party. “And I was like, ‘I don’t want to watch it; I’m nauseous.’”

“I’ve wanted to play in that league ever since I saw (former Jayhawk and teammate Raegan) Cooper join it,” Turner told R1S1 Sports. “As soon as I heard my name called, I just screamed and we both just started crying. I literally didn’t move for an hour and a half; I could not believe it and definitely didn’t expect it.”

Turner went with the No. 6 pick of the third round (No. 22 overall) to the team in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She’s never been there, but said she can’t wait to go and she was excited to see a few familiar names and faces in the Grand Rapids Rise’s 2024 draft class.

Not long before Turner was selected in the middle of the five-round draft, her current teammate KU middle blocker Toyosi Onabanjo experienced her own wow moment after being picked with the 8th overall pick at the end of the first round by Omaha.

“Mine wasn’t expected either,” Onabanjo told R1S1 Sports. “I was just sitting in the locker room alone, doing homework, and then I just heard my name and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ And then I had four classes right after. I still went.”

While there, she kept a close eye on the rest of the draft and could barely contain her excitement when her teammate was picked.

“I was in class when she (Turner) got drafted,” Onabanjo recalled. “And I was reading the names because I couldn’t have the sound up and I saw “Tur” and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’”

“She text me ‘OMG’ probably 20 times,” Turner said, laughing.

Neither Jayhawk knows exactly what to expect when they join the 2-year-old league, but they know it’s coming fast.

With Turner and Onabanjo joining teammates Caroline Bien, Bryn McGehe, Ayah Elnady and London Davis for a one last home match on Senior Night on Wednesday night, the regular season now has just one match remaining for the 10th-ranked Jayhawks.

After that, they hope to host a couple of NCAA Tournament matches and make a deep run in December, but no matter what happens they know they’ll have to move to their next homes on Dec. 27 for the start of the five-month PVF season, which is made up of 24 matches and a $1 million prize for the championship team.

Games begin the second week of January and, for Onabanjo, that means a KU reunion is coming. The Omaha Supernovas team that drafted her boasts for KU greats Cooper and Kelsie Payne on its roster and is coached by former KU assistant coach Laura Kuhn.

Clearly, the league has an already-strong KU vibe. And it almost certainly would’ve been even stronger, with three Jayhawks picked in this year’s draft, had current senior Caroline Bien not withdrawn her name from consideration to continue to focus on her academics.

“I think it’s really cool, especially for Toy because she gets to play with Coop and Kelsie Payne and Bird’s coaching,” Turner said. “It’s just like, ‘Yeah, the Jayhawks are in it’ and it’s really cool to see. It’s just a really good opportunity and we’re both super-excited about being some of the (PVF’s) first players. It’s a huge honor for sure.”