Triple Threat, No Regrets: Marilyn Popplewell Excels in Three Sports
Written by James Gensterblum, ’12
Excelling at one sport in college is a dream come true for most athletes.
For Hillsdale College senior Marilyn Popplewell, however, that was just the beginning. Thanks to hard work and taking advantage of chance opportunities, Popplewell made the most of her final school year, making a huge impact in three different sports—volleyball, basketball, and track and field—to become Hillsdale’s first true three-sport athlete in more than two decades.
“I’m grateful to be at a school like Hillsdale that’s given me a chance to get an excellent education, and at the same time take advantage of these opportunities to challenge myself and play the sports I love,” Popplewell said. “Every team I’ve been a part of at Hillsdale has brought me relationships and friendships I treasure, as well as so many experiences that have shaped who I am and that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
Big Moments
A multi-sport star at Mason High School in Ohio, Popplewell was recruited by Head Coach Chris Gravel to play volleyball at Hillsdale College. She made an immediate impact as a freshman, finishing with a team-high 18 kills in Hillsdale’s four-set Midwest Regional Championship win over Ferris State that gave the Chargers their first NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance in a decade.
That was Popplewell’s first big moment in a career full of them for the Chargers volleyball team. Over the next four seasons, Popplewell was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American twice while helping lead the Chargers to four G-MAC titles and three more NCAA Tournament appearances. She set the program’s single-match kills record with 28 in an upset of second-seeded Lewis in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, and her 1,257 career kills rank eighth all-time in program history.
“Marilyn is one of the most dedicated and focused competitors I’ve ever coached,” Gravel said, reflecting on Marilyn’s career. “Her consistency and her work ethic day-in and day-out in practice allowed her to maximize her potential and is why she excels at everything she does.”
Playing in the Big Dance
As Popplewell’s volleyball career drew to a close, she found herself thinking about the path she chose not to take as a dual-sport athlete coming out of high school.
“Growing up, basketball was a huge part of my life as well, and with my volleyball career winding down, I thought, ‘Let’s see if there’s an opportunity to play basketball at this level with the eligibility I have left’,” Popplewell said. “I approached [volleyball] Coach [Chris] Gravel and [women’s basketball] Coach Brie [Brennan] with the idea in the spring before my senior year, and both coaches were very supportive.”
Brennan, for her part, was intrigued by the idea of adding a proven leader to an up-and-coming team looking to break through in the 2024-25 season.
“I knew from watching her on the volleyball court that Marilyn had the athleticism, and I knew from talking to her coaches and teammates what a leader she was and how respected she was,” Brennan said. “I knew that even if it didn’t work out in any other way, that leadership would have a positive impact on our squad.”
After the 2024 volleyball campaign wrapped up in early December with another trip to the NCAA DII Midwest Regional, Popplewell was with the basketball team just a week later, already making an impact in practice within her first couple of days.
“From the moment she stepped on the floor, Marilyn’s mindset was ‘I’m going to try and win every sprint, every rep, and just put everything I have into everything I do,’” Brennan said. “She came in with an incredible work ethic and humility and worked as hard as she could. It was just infectious on our team, and I could see the intensity of practice change immediately.”
Popplewell quickly found herself playing an important role on the court, too. After playing a bit role in January, she stepped up in February after injuries opened up a spot in the rotation, grabbing 14 rebounds in a win at Tiffin and scoring 12 points in two separate contests as a key substitute.
Thanks in part to Popplewell’s aid down the stretch, Hillsdale finished with its most wins since 2009 and a runner-up finish in G-MAC play. Just as she had in volleyball, Popplewell concluded her basketball season playing in the NCAA Tournament as Hillsdale made its first appearance in the Big Dance since 2018.
“Probably Pretty Far”
As amazing as Popplewell’s senior year had become, the story wasn’t finished yet. In March, with basketball over, Popplewell happened to be working out in the weight room at the same time as members of Hillsdale College’s track and field team. As she was lifting next to national champion thrower Ben Haas, with Associate Head Track and Field Coach Jessica Bridenthal nearby, the group struck up a conversation.
“I asked Ben, not really seriously, how far he thought Marilyn could throw a javelin, and Ben responded, ‘Probably pretty far,’” said Bridenthal. “Marilyn jumped in and said, ‘I’m willing to give it a shot if you want.’”
At the time, the Chargers track and field team didn’t have a dedicated javelin thrower, which is how Popplewell found herself trying out for the event despite never having touched a javelin in her life.
It turned out Haas was right—Popplewell could throw a javelin pretty far. Just six weeks after that chance meeting in the weight room, Popplewell took runner-up honors in the event at the G-MAC Outdoor Championships, scoring significant points for a Hillsdale team that finished third in the competition. Her best throw on the season—38.92 meters—is the sixth-best throw in the event in program history.
“My mindset was, if I’m able to perform at a level that helps the team and helps Hillsdale, then why not?” Popplewell said.
Many of the same traits that helped Popplewell stand out on the volleyball and basketball court helped her excel as a first-time competitor in the javelin, Bridenthal said.
“Marilyn is a stellar athlete, which really helps,” Bridenthal said. “More than that, she is driven to excel at what she does and is so coachable.
“She’ll do extra reps outside of practice, and she’s always hungry for feedback and ways she can improve. She’s just a joy to work with, and her success this year is a real testament to who she is as a person.”
Playing three sports in the same school year didn’t come at the expense of Popplewell’s academics. The senior graduated in May as one of the top students in her class, with a 3.94 GPA and a double major in biology and Spanish. She plans to attend medical school to become a doctor.
Popplewell credits her coaches and her experience at Hillsdale for giving her the tools she needed to excel at a high level across multiple sports and in the classroom simultaneously.
“One thing I learned from being in athletics was how important it is to put your whole self in whatever you’re doing so you can get the most out of it,” Popplewell said. “So whatever I’m doing—playing sports, studying, being with teammates—in that moment, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, and then, when I’m doing something else, I’m putting everything else aside and giving that everything I’ve got, too.
“If you can do that consistently, you’re never going to short-change yourself on what you could have done or could have been. That mindset has helped me a lot, and it’s why I can leave Hillsdale with no regrets.”
James Gensterblum is the Director of Athletic Communications at Hillsdale College.
A 2012 graduate of Hillsdale College, James worked in print journalism as a sportswriter and editor in Michigan and Indiana for eight years prior to returning to Hillsdale, winning numerous awards for sportswriting and photography from the Michigan Press Association and the Associated Press.
Reposted from the fall 2025 issue of Arete.