Neuqua Valley sophomore setter Tatum Kelly has cherished being raised in an athletic household.
Especially with her twin brother, Cole Kelly.
“It’s awesome being twins,” Tatum Kelly said. “I love it. Growing up, we always played the same sports. It was always good fun.”
Fun was the focus when the Kelly twins got together to relax just before they started high school last year. But a mishap on the water left Tatum Kelly with an injury that postponed her high school sports career.
“I got hurt tubing with my brother, and I broke a small bone in my wrist,” she said.
Tatum Kelly’s broken bone was part of the growth plate in her dominant right hand.
“We found out a week after tryouts,” Neuqua Valley girls volleyball coach Jamie Buhnerkemper said. “She was finally enjoying her summer because she had been playing volleyball for months, and then that happened.”
Cole Kelly, who is considered one of the top basketball players in the state, had an outstanding freshman season, but Tatum Kelly spent the volleyball season on the bench. It was not the start that the 5-foot-11 Tatum Kelly, already touted as a Division I prospect, had envisioned.
“During last season, I was just really trying to be the best teammate I could be off the court and still trying to help lead as much as I could in my role,” she said.
Tatum Kelly must have done a good job because her teammates voted her a co-captain this season, a rare honor for a sophomore.
“It says a lot about her leadership skills and how she can lead a team very, very well,” Neuqua Valley sophomore Seanna Larbi said. “She knows what to say to each teammate that caters to them and that will make them play the best that they can.
“It’s great to have her back, honestly, because she’s such a great player. She’s smart with who she sets. She can make plays from anywhere. It really does make a difference.”
Indeed, the Wildcats (16-11, 2-1) are much improved after going 7-28 last season, with the DuPage Valley Conference title in play, and Tatum Kelly is the driving force behind that turnaround.
But players like Larbi, who was the starting setter last season, have also made significant contributions. The 5-5 Larbi has contributed as a right-side hitter, a defensive specialist and a backup setter.
“I think it was honestly for the best,” Larbi said of the switch. “Tatum is overall a smarter setter than me, so I think that having her set definitely does bring the team dynamic up.
“It’s great that I still get to play. Even though it’s not in my old position, it is great that I can try out other positions and skills that I’m also good at.”
Buhnerkemper said Tatum Kelly has many skills but her greatest strength may be her consistency.
“She can put up a ball pretty much anywhere on the court, which helps our younger players,” Buhnerkemper said. “They know what they’re going to get, so it helps them with confidence and being a little more aggressive.”
None of this is surprising because Tatum Kelly is part of an athletic family. The twins’ father, Jay Kelly, is a former St. Francis basketball player, and their mother, Monika Kelly, is a former North Central College runner.
But Tatum Kelly cites her older sister, Anja Kelly, as her role model in volleyball. Anja Kelly also was a captain for Neuqua Valley and is a junior opposite hitter at Rider.
“She definitely had it harder because she started playing later than I did,” Tatum Kelly said. “Watching her play has definitely helped me be able to understand the sport more from a young age.”
Cole Kelly already has multiple Division I offers, and Tatum Kelly is starting to draw interest. Buhnerkemper recently spoke with the Auburn women’s volleyball coach.
“It’s definitely cool for us both to get some attention,” Tatum Kelly said. “He works really hard, so he deserves it.”
So does Tatum Kelly, who still trains with him even as their respective athletic paths have diverged.
“Now it’s kind of less competitive because we’re doing our separate things now,” she said.
Tatum Kelly has high hopes for the Wildcats.
“This year I think a good, reasonable goal would be winning the conference and maybe regionals,” she said. “It definitely could happen. We’ve all worked really hard.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.