Ashley Mullen is a true freshman setter from Kansas City, Mo. She enrolled at UCLA during the Winer 2022 Quarter. Mullen was named an AVCA First Team High School All-American and UnderArmour All-American her senior year in 2022. She is part of head coach Alfee Reft's first freshman class.
ย Q: You enrolled into UCLAย during the Winter 2022 Quarter. How was it taking UCLA classes for the first time and getting acquainted to campus? AM: I think the biggest thing was how much time I have. During high school, I used to be in school for eight hours a day and then going to practice right after, whether it's high school or club. But having that difference to where it's now practicing earlier in the morning. We had that the first quarter: practice, then lift and then school. Then I had the rest of the day. It was crazy how much more time I had and learning how to manage my time. I feel like that allowed me to do more fun things as well. It allowed me more time to get to know the team really quick which was nice. โฆ Taking classes was different because when I went to high school there were a lot of student-athletes everywhere. At UCLA, there are maybe 1-2 student-athletes in your classes. I was like 'Man, there aren't that many people around that are like me all the time.' Everybody is here for academics, so they're really smart. I have a lot of respect for them.
ย Q: What's it been like getting to explore Los Angeles? AM: It's been so fun because I feel like each of my teammates have a different area they really love and things they like to do. Like Anna (Dodson) has connections and has us going somewhere for food. It's so fun. Every time I'm like, 'Anna, I'm spending way too much money,' but she's like 'we have to try this place!' We went to this pizza place called Maria's Italian Kitchen in Brentwood. It was probably the best pizza I've ever had. But also, Lamonica's here in Westwood has my heart.
ย Q: You followed through with your commitment after signing with a different UCLA staff in November 2022. What was that time in your life like waiting to find out UCLA's new coach? AM: It was definitely a tough time. The thought in my head was, 'Oh my gosh. What's going to happen? Is everything going to be O.K.?' I chose UCLA because I loved it. My parents always said choose the school, no matter the coach or if you get hurt, you're going to be happy there. I felt really confident with where I was at. I never had the thought of transferring away. Once I heard Alfee was going to be head coach, I got really excited because he was also looking at me when I was getting recruited. So, knowing he believes in me as an athlete made me feal really good. Then (associate head coach Jen Malcom) came along and I've known her since I was 11 years old because I used to go to the Iowa State camps. Getting to know (assistant coach Amir Lugo-Rodriguez), a new coach who I never had talked to, our relationship over time has grown and I love him so much.
ย Q: What has it been like getting to know Alfee and the rest of the staff? AM: I'd say with Alfee, it's been a lot of conversations about what I need to do to get that starting position. He sees it in me and every step of the way he's guiding me, but he's not all over me. He's helping me find my own way through the process. I think that's pretty cool. My relationship with Jen is like a mom-daughter relationship. It's so fun. Amir is all vibes (and he's) super chill. โฆ (Amir's) office is very boring, so I drew a picture of him blocking with his arm movements and put it on there. Now he has decorations in his room.
ย Q: What excites you most about the move to the Big Ten Conference next year? AM: My first thought was that I'm going to be closer to home. My parents can come see more matches. That was one of my biggest things. I was super excited. The Big Ten is the heart of volleyball. So many big teams and so many historic moments happen in the Big Ten. The competition is going to allow us to grow so much as a team.
ย Q: How your experience competing in the UnderAmour All-American game with some of the best rising freshmen in the country? AM: Just knowing I was going to be a part of something with only 24 other girls across the country was huge. When I got there, we all knew each other, so there was no pressure. I was so relaxed. โฆ I played against these girls in club since I was 13 years old and I never got to just hang out with them, so getting to know them a bit better was really cool.
ย Q: Your parents both played in collegiate athletics at the University of Iowa with your father competing in football and mother in women's volleyball. What was it like growing up in a household centered around athletics? AM: They did push us hard in athletics, but at a younger age they allowed us to just be kids. They were very smart about our school life, social life and athletic life altogether. That's what made the transition to having so much passion for volleyball later on (in my life) be a thing. โฆ My dad talks about how cool it was to be able to be coached under two different coaches and how he got to be the first under Kirk Ferentz. He holds the (Kinnick Stadium) record for most yards in game and it's been 23 years or so, so that's super cool.
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Iowa quarterback Scott Mullen and Iowa setter Jill Mullen. Q: What's the biggest lesson your mother taught you from her volleyball playing career? AM: I was shorter when I first started playing volleyball and everyone was taller than me. It got to a point in my club career where I began telling myself, 'Don't care what people say. Don't care what people think.' If you do the best and work harder than everyone else, then you'll get to where you want to be. It eventually got to the point where I had my growth spurt, so the playing field leveled out. I started to outwork people and became one of the best setters in my class. That quote and saying stuck to me a lot throughout my career.
ย Q: Tell me more about your car detailing hobby. AM: It was close to the end of COVID and I still had nothing to do around the house. One time, I was just cleaning my car and I thought to clean my mom and dad's car and they paid me. It was like forty bucks. If they're going to pay me as a favorโ if I do this for people who actually want business, then I can charge more. I already had a vacuum and cleaning supplies to wash the outside. I just needed (supplies) to clean the small details inside the car. Certain fabrics, brushes and spray. I made a flyer that I gave to my mom to send to her coworkers. I posted it on social media. I had like two customers a day because I probably spent four hours per car. I got eighty bucks per car. โฆ People go get their cars detailed for $300 and expect perfection. I am not the most perfect and high-tech detailer, so for the amount they're giving me, I have to do the best I can.
ย Q: You also have a shoe collection. Is there a favorite pair you own? AM: I wear my Yeezy's all the time. They're so comfortable. I love my (Nike) Dunks. I got the UCLA Dunks right away. For my dad's birthday, my sister and I couldn't think of anything to get him. 'Let's just get him the Dunks!' we said. โฆ I probably have 10 (Adidas) Ultraboosts, two Dunks, one pair of high-top Jordans, one pair of Yeezy slides. I like my NewBalances, too. A lot of my shoes are back home, and I like to mix it up.
ย Q: What about playing setter do you love most? AM: My favorite thing about being a setter is the creativity you have. You always get that second touch. You always have that second part of the play. You're the quarterback. It's just so cool the amount of plays you can make. What makes me stand out the most as a setter is that I try to do what other setters can't or when I'm pulled off the net I try to incorporate the middles a lot. โฆ I like tricking blockers. There are ways to manipulate your body to make (the opposing middle blockers) think you're going one way or the other way or just holding and freezing. There is a lot into it.
ย Q: Besides the volleyball program, what attracted you to UCLA? AM: I think just wanting something different from Kansas City in general. I really liked the L.A. vibe. I felt like it would help me expand my network and allow me to develop in other aspects of my life. Getting a degree from UCLA is pretty cool to have on your résumé.
ย Q: What are you most looking forward to your freshman year? AM: I am excited to see Pauley Pavilion fully packed for the USC game. I have never been in an environment with that many people in an arena for a match. There are thousands of people coming, so I'm super excited for that. I'm really excited to get to know some of the other freshmen from the other sports in my class because that's who I'm going to be with my four years.
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Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite musical artists: Drake, The Weeknd, Morgan Wallen
Hidden talent: Water skiing
Favorite sport to watch besides volleyball: Football
Favorite professional sports team: Kansas City Chiefs or Iowa Women's Basketball
Favorite T.V. show: Stranger Things
Athletic inspiration: Patrick Mahomes
