For most of their lives, volleyball gave the Reck sisters a reason to be on the same side of the net. This weekend, it will give them a reason to compete against each other.
When the trio of outside hitters: Marist sophomore Mallory Reck, now fifth in the nation in total kills, Oakland sophomore Molly Reck and Illinois State senior Abby Reck take the court at the Oakland Invitational in Rochester, Michigan on Friday, the sisters will find themselves sharing the stage at a tournament that essentially came together because of them.
The idea of all three sisters playing against each other began as more of a family dream rather than a reality. With the sisters spread across three Division I programs, the odds of finding a tournament that could bring them together were low.
But the dream never faded.
“Right when we all chose this lifestyle, to go D1 and play volleyball, we all decided that we have to play each other,” Mallory said. “We knew the odds of this happening were very slim, and we had to take advantage of it and play against each other.”
The family’s connection to volleyball dates back years. The sisters played together growing up, with twins Mallory and Molly sharing four years as teammates in high school, and playing together with Abby for two.
“It was the best,” Mallory said. “I mean, you always had a friend and someone to go train with, no matter what. My sisters are my best friends and volleyball really bonded us.”
Their parents, Max and Stephanie, said watching all three daughters play together in high school was among the most enjoyable parts of their volleyball journey. The family traveled extensively for club volleyball, and the sport ultimately became something that brought them closer together.
Now, volleyball is giving them another chance to share the court—this time as opponents.
The plan started taking shape before Abby transferred to Illinois State. While she was still at Northeastern, the sisters had discussed the possibility of playing in the same tournament. After her transfer, Abby brought the idea to her head coach, Allie Matters, who was open to seeing what could be arranged. As the coaches communicated, what had once been an unlikely scenario started to become a possibility.
“It all just fell into place.” Molly said. “It was always just an idea being thrown around, but then all the coaches talked, and it all came together.”
When the opportunity finally coalesced, it became clear that the weekend would be about more than just volleyball. The tournament is particularly meaningful because of its proximity to the sisters’ hometown.
“Our hometown is 45 minutes away,” Molly said. “All our friends and family are here, so we thought it would be more fun to do it somewhere where all our family could be there to see how cool it is that we’re all playing against each other.”
The family is already preparing for the occasion. Their parents expect plenty of relatives and friends to attend, while Grandpa Max—described as the sisters’ No.1 fan—has even created shirts for the event.
Away from the court, the weekend will look more like a family reunion than a volleyball tournament. All three teams plan to spend Thursday together at the lake, swimming and going out on the boat before gathering for dinner at the Recks’ aunt’s house.
For Abby, the family presence adds another layer to an already meaningful weekend.
“For me, having this be one of my last preseason tournaments of my senior year, it’s awesome getting to end it with all our family involved,” said Abby. “I think it’s really special they get to see us play in college and see the impact they’ve had on our lives. I’m just really excited about this tournament.”
The event also serves as an opportunity for Abby to witness the success of her younger sisters firsthand. As the oldest sister and a senior at Illinois State, Abby had the opportunity to guide Mallory and Molly through parts of the college recruitment process and their transition to Division I volleyball. She remembers trying to prepare them for the realities of college athletics, including the challenges of balancing volleyball with academics.
“They were both shocked at how hard it is to balance classes and college volleyball,” said Abby. “I mean, I was complaining about it my entire freshman year and they just thought I was being dramatic. Then they actually got to college and leaned on me a lot for advice and stuff like that.”
Now, Abby gets to watch her younger sisters thrive in their own programs while preparing for one of the final non-conference tournaments of her college career.
“Seeing them as sophomores, thriving on their teams and being leaders on their teams, is a great big sister moment for me,” Abby said.
Molly has previously faced Abby in college, but the Oakland Invitational will mark the first time Mallory has played against her sisters in college. She expects the competition to be serious, but not without some added humor.
“I’m a very competitive person, but it’s just going to be funny when we’re all up at the net with each other,” Mallory said. “I honestly think it’s going to be as serious as we make it and, we’re all funny people, so we’re going to make the best of it.”
For their parents, the greatest challenge may come once the matches begin.
“It will be fun to watch them play at the same time, but will also be very strange as we want both teams to play well and do well,” Stephanie said. “We know most of the girls on all the teams now and wish them all success. So, it is hard to decide who to root for.”
After years of watching their daughters play on the same teams before going their separate ways, the family will finally get to watch them compete in the same place once again.
The tournament begins on Friday with a matchup between Marist and Oakland at 6 p.m. The Red Foxes will then play Illinois State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Edited by August Lieberman
Photo via Mallory Reck
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok and Bluesky, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.