Kenai Central’s Sophie Tapley has committed to continuing her volleyball career at the University of Alaska Anchorage during the 2026-2027 school year. She signed the offer on Nov. 26 during a ceremony in Kenai Central’s theater and will don a Seawolf jersey next fall.
Tapley began playing volleyball in seventh grade. She was attending the Aurora Borealis Charter School at the time, but her mom, Whitney, signed her up for Kenai’s middle school team because they planned to transfer Sophie to Kenai Central for high school. Whitney said Sophie was athletic growing up, participating in gymnastics and rodeos, but she was introverted.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity for Sophie to go over there and make some friends because we were planning for her to go to Kenai High School,” Whitney said. “I thought she might enjoy it, but she was not excited to be signed up.”
Sophie said she didn’t really fall in love with the sport until eighth grade.
“Going into the eighth grade volleyball season, I remember being really excited,” she said. “I just loved it. I loved going to practice. It was just all I wanted to do and all I looked forward to.”
Tapley has played a variety of positions over the years, including setter, right side hitter and outside hitter. She made the varsity team during her sophomore year, playing outside hitter and helping the Kards secure the 2023 state title. She became exclusively a right side hitter during her junior year.
“Sophie can jump out of the gym,” Kenai Central’s head volleyball coach Tracie Beck told the Clarion. “She has an amazing vertical that definitely helps her be successful at the net.”
In November, the Kards brought home the third state championship title in the past four years. Tapley was named Hitter of the Tournament and selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Tapley said she’s nervous about playing for UAA, but she feels ready. Two of her friends and teammates, Emma Beck and Indy Kmet, committed to UAA as well.
“I feel like sometimes when you commit to the next level, it’s relieving, because it’s like, ‘okay, I know that I’m going somewhere,’” she said. “But there’s also pressure. When I’m doing badly, I’m like, ‘how am I going to college?’ But I remember that I’m going there for a reason. I am nervous — I just want to do well and fit in. But I think that I can do that.”
Beck said she thinks Tapley will have a difficult time leaving home because she’s so family-oriented, but she knows Tapley will thrive at UAA.
“I think that she’ll enjoy playing at a quicker speed,” Beck said. “Sophie’s very fast, so it will be exciting to see her in a game that’s more fast paced. I think she’ll do great.”
Tapley’s parents are excited to have her close to home and plan to visit her often. Her dad, Josh, added that since he works in the North Slope, he flies through Anchorage every two weeks.
“It’s going to be a good choice for her,” Whitney said. “We definitely kind of debated, and were trying to figure out what would be a good fit for her. She had another option in Washington, and we looked at some schools in Texas, but ultimately, I think she wanted to be close to home.”
“I’m a big fan,” Josh added.
