Samantha “Sammi” Bunch is a junior volleyball player at Illinois State University. A setter and defensive specialist, this native of Romeoville still loves the game she’s been playing since she was a child. She’s also an artist with an eye on a specialized career.
“I started playing when I was about 10 and absolutely love the sport,” Bunch said. “I like to go to practice, and when I’m not playing, my friends and I are talking about volleyball. And I enjoy traveling for volleyball when we go on the road.”
Bunch comes from an athletic family. Her parents, Joseph and Carri, were both high school athletes. Her older sister played college volleyball, and her brother is a pitcher on his college baseball team.
Bunch and her teammates, led by head coach Allie Matters, open Missouri Valley Conference play on Friday, September 27, at CEFCU Arena against Murray State (5-4) in a RED OUT event. Fans are encouraged to suit up in their favorite red spirit wear to back the Redbirds in a Homecoming weekend contest that begins at 6 p.m. In addition, it’s Eras Night, which will include a promotional T-shirt and some fun things happening during the game.
The Redbirds (5-8) did not get off to the start the team was aiming for, but their most recent road trip showed a positive trend upward. The Birds returned from the 2024 Owls Paradise Classic, hosted by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, winning two of three matches, including a five-set victory over Mercer University to finish second in the four-team tournament won by the host school. Despite a challenging start to the season, Bunch believes in this team and what she and her teammates have built to be successful this season.
“We are a pretty close-knit group, and we’re all friends,” she said. “I’ve never felt this close on a college team before. We all cheer each other on and work hard.”
Bunch said injuries have played a factor in the season so far.
“We’ve had like five girls get injured,” she said. “We’re still figuring out our lineup, but the future looks bright.”
Art is as much a part of Bunch’s life as volleyball is. She’s majoring in fine arts with a focus on drawing and painting. Her ambition after college is to use her artistic ability as a tattoo artist. That begs the question: Does she have any tattoos?
“Yes, a bunch, at least eight,” she said.
Her inspiration is her dad’s best friend, Matt Sopron, who served over 20 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Once exonerated, Sopron returned home to the Chicago suburbs and opened a tattoo shop in 2018.
“My dad visited Matt in prison and brought back one of his drawings of (former Chicago Bulls star) Derrick Rose, and it was so good I’ll never get that image out of my head,” Bunch said. “Matt gave me my first tattoo when I was 16 of my older sister’s birth flower—she and I got each other’s birth flower.
“I love that guy.”
Bunch knew after that first tattoo what she wanted to pursue for a career. Her plan once she graduates is to apprentice with Sopron.
“Matt is supposed to teach me when I graduate,” she said. “I hope he’s still up for it. I’m so eager to start.”
Getting a tattoo at a young age didn’t make her mother very happy, but her father had no problem with it.
“Mom kind of had to let go of me getting tattoos, but no worries from Dad since he’s all tatted up on his chest, back, and legs and has arm sleeves,” she said.
Bunch is an artist and an athlete, but she also has business ambitions.
“I’d like to own my own shop by the time I’m 30,” she said.
In the meantime, there’s volleyball to be played, and Bunch said she and her Redbird teammates are up to the task.
“It’s been a challenging time, but our coaches believe in us and have our backs,” Bunch said. “We’ve got a conference championship on our minds. We don’t see it any other way.”
