When Franki Strefling goes to work from her home in Orlando, Florida, she passes some sand volleyball courts that often are brimming with activity. Strefling, a former first-team All-Mid American Conference outside hitter at Eastern Michigan, would like nothing more than to join in.
The pull is natural. Volleyball was her life. At age 8, she gave up pursuing all other sports to reduce the risk of being injured for volleyball. Her father, Vince, was her coach throughout most of her formative years in Niles, Michigan, located less than 100 miles east of Chicago.
Her life’s map was laid out: College, professional volleyball, then on to coaching at the college level. Preferably at a big-time Division I school.
She never for a second imagined something could consume her life the way volleyball had.
Until she got contacted via Instagram by WWE.
You see, when Franki Strefling goes to work, she heads to the WWE Performance Center — past those sand volleyball courts — to hone her skills in the art of professional wrestling. It’s a wildly divergent career path but one Strefling is eager to let play out.
“When I got this opportunity, it was kind of like, let’s see how it goes,” Strefling said. “So when I did this, it was super exciting, super…
