‘It’s definitely a big transition’: Two KC volleyball players share bond at Princeton

As the Princeton volleyball team chases a third Ivy League title in the past four seasons, two Kansas City natives occupy key roles for the Tigers.

Meet sophomore Ella Bunde and freshman Sydney Draper.

This isn’t the first time that Bunde, a graduate of Shawnee Mission East High, and Draper, from Pembroke Hill, have played together. They both played for the KC Power club team while in high school.

That relationship played a role in Draper’s decision to commit to Princeton.

“She was a big part of my process of coming here,” Draper said of Bunde. “She was super-helpful with answering all the many questions I had and just being an awesome resource, and it was really awesome having her here and having that connection to home here.”

Both were stars in high school. Bunde racked up 1,212 career digs for the Lancers and made the 2021 AVCA High School All-America list. Draper is Pembroke Hill’s all-time career assists leader and record-holder for aces. She also made PrepVolleyball’s Top 150 for the class of 2023.

As a freshman, Draper’s just a few months into her time at Princeton, but the Mission Hills native has had an easy transition into her college experience.

“It’s definitely a big transition, very different from me and Ella’s hometowns, but I really think it was a big thing for me to be exploring a new environment,” Draper said. “And I’ve just had the opportunity to meet so many people within and outside of the volleyball program. It’s an amazing community here and there’s more support than I could ever ask for, so that definitely has made the transition a lot more doable.”

The jump from living in Kansas to New Jersey wasn’t an easy one, but in the middle of the commitment process, that change was ultimately what drove the two to Princeton — well, that and the prestigious Ivy League environment.

“Starting off, I knew I didn’t want to stay in Kansas for college,” Bunde said. “And honestly, I wanted to go somewhere where the academics and athletics were good, and Princeton was the perfect combination of that. Obviously being the number one college in the country is amazing, but the volleyball team winning many Ivy League championships and being successful was exactly what I was looking for.”

Draper agreed.

“It’s a rigorous school and the program’s intense, but there are so many benefits, and it was like the best of both worlds,” she said. “So it was really like a no-brainer for me.”

Navigating the demands of student-athlete life at an Ivy League school has been no easy task, yet it remains an experience for which they’re thankful.

“I think balancing academics and athletics in a place where they’re both so important, and you strive for success so highly in both areas, it definitely challenges you and puts things into perspective about what’s important and what’s not,” Bunde said.

Moving from the Midwest to the East Coast, Bunde was worried about the culture shift. But she quickly learned that she had nothing to worry about.

“The community here is similar to the community I lived in back home. I feel like everyone kind of knows everyone, and I feel like that’s how it is at least here at Princeton,” Bunde said. “I thought people were going to be a lot meaner than they are because I know the Midwest is super-nice, and growing up around that, I thought it was going to be different than what it proved to be.

“I think that was a big comfort, coming out here and realizing that it’s a small community where everyone knows everyone, just like it was back home.”

On the court, the pair play a vital role in the Tigers’ success. Bunde leads the team in service aces (17) and service aces per set (.30), ranking in the top 10 for the Ivy League in both categories. Draper leads the league in both assists (586) and assists per set (10.46).

Outside of volleyball, the two are majoring in politics. Bunde spent the summer at the London School of Economics and is eyeing a certificate in entrepreneurship.

And in the midst of all of the newness and adjustment, their relationship has only gotten stronger.

“Obviously being on the same club team is like one thing and you kind of have to get along with your club teammates,” Bunde said. “But I think Sydney making the decision to come here, especially after I talked to her and tried to get her to come here, I think we’ve gotten a lot closer.”