Volleyball player and middle blocker, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, has stacked up some impressive accomplishments during her career at Texas A&M University. She has been named SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice, broke a program record with 14 total blocks against Utah State, and recently attended the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Program, all in just her SOPHOMORE year of college.
How did she get to this point in her career? I reached out to Cos-Okpalla to get some insight on her volleyball journey and how that has shaped her into the athlete she is today.
Her Campus (HC): So what made you want to play volleyball in the first place?
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (IC): I’m not gonna lie, my mom just wanted to keep me and my siblings busy and volleyball was kind of like the last sport I tried before something stuck. At one point I used to fence, I used to play tennis, I used to swim, I used to do a bunch of stuff just to stay active. And then, I started volleyball and was like okay I actually really like this, and it was just really fun to play. It was something me and my sister did, so it was just a cute, little bonding day at first, until I got more serious.
HC: When did you start playing volleyball?
IC: I started playing volleyball right before I turned fourteen, so I started playing at the Y (YMCA), just kind of recreationally, and from there, I kept getting better and better until my coach suggested to my parents that I try playing club volleyball, which is like a little more advanced than just playing rec volleyball at the Y. I started playing with Mad Frog my fourteenth year, which, when you’re starting club (volleyball), usually you start when you’re like 8, 9, 10 and you kind of keep going until you graduate, but I would say I caught up okay.
HC: You said you played club volleyball and you started late, so how was that process of starting later and catching up?
IC: I remember first stepping into the club building and being so intimidated by all the other girls because they’d started earlier. They’d also been playing with each other for awhile and I kind of just got thrown into it. So I started on the second team my fourteenth year and just worked on getting better and just transitioning from recreational volleyball to club volleyball. It’s a big jump, so I’d spent my first year adjusting to the whole thing, getting the hang of it, meeting my teammates, and meeting new friends at the club. I can’t say it was easy; it wasn’t easy doing that, but I think that overall helped me become the player I am today. Just kind of starting somewhere I’m not comfortable and, you know, getting the hang of things on my own.
HC: Did you plan to play collegiate volleyball or did it just kind of happen?
IC: It just kind of happened. All I knew was high school volleyball was the big stage and club volleyball was an even bigger stage, like you get nationally recognized. I just assumed it stopped there until I started getting letters in the mail from colleges and like I didn’t know this was a thing. Then, recruiting actually started. It was intimidating because wow, I could go to school for free, just for playing volleyball and I liked the sound of that. But yeah I didn’t know it was such a big world like, I’m still even learning more about volleyball everyday. It’s still growing as we speak, so I just did not know that it would open all these doors when I was just fourteen.
HC: How did you feel when you first joined the A&M Volleyball team? Did you get acclimated pretty quickly?
IC: Of course, there’s always that intimidation coming in as a freshman and knowing that there’s seniors on the team, some even like super seniors that are playing their fifth year. It’s trying to get acclimated, stay out of the way a little bit, but make sure people know your presence. It was a lot my freshman year, but it was fun. I was getting used to the teammates, the campus, the whole vibe of A&M, which I ended up loving more than I thought I would.
HC: Recently, you went to the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Program in Colorado. How was that experience?
IC: It was a lot of fun. It’s beautiful there, I’ve never been there before, so I tried to soak everything in and meet new people that go to other universities, even as far as Hawaii. It’s just crazy that the best of the best were brought all to one place to compete with each other. It was such a blessing being there with everybody else. Playing under Coach Karch, he coaches the national team, it was a whole new experience that I’ve never thought I would have done.
HC: A&M Volleyball just announced they’re going on a Foreign Tour, did you ever imagine you would be playing volleyball in different countries as a sophomore?
IC: Never, all the doors just open being an athlete, just saying I play volleyball at Texas A&M is crazy. During the world tour, we’re gonna play some games there, practice, see how volleyball is like in a whole different part of the world, and it’ll be great. All three places that we’re going to are beautiful. I’m so excited because I’ve never been to any of them, so it’s a whole new experience.
HC: Yeah that’s so exciting, so who would you say are your biggest supporters and role models?
IC: My biggest role model, even though she didn’t play volleyball, is my mom. She’s so strong; she’s the epitome of a strong black woman. She’s someone that I really look up to when I’m struggling or just need someone to talk to or lean on. She’s the reason I’m sitting here today and I’m just so thankful for her. Biggest supporters for sure go to my mom and my little sister, just the constant support and love I get from them. And of course there’s my brothers, but just woman to woman, it’s more impactful to me.
Keep an eye out for Ifenna Cos-Okpalla during the 2024 volleyball season and don’t forget to support the Texas A&M volleyball team this summer as they compete in Turkey, Croatia, and Italy for their European Tour!