Ball State University Athletics
Volleyball's Sarah (Obras) Steele Named to MAC Hall of Fame
March 15, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND - - Former Ball State women's volleyball student-athlete Sarah (Obras) Steele joined elite company Friday afternoon when the Mid-American Conference announced its six-member 2024 MAC Hall of Fame Induction Class.
Obras completed her four-year playing career (2002-05) at Ball State as the league's all-time leader in career kills (1,975) and attempts (5,699). The first player in MAC history to reach 1,500 career kills before the end of her junior season, she is also its first to register both 1,500 career kills and 1,500 career digs.
"I am so grateful and honored to be selected as an inductee into the MAC Hall of Fame," Obras said. "It's a blessing and privilege to represent Ball State amongst so many other successful student-athletes who have led the way. I'm so grateful to Ball State for considering me as their nomination and to the selection committee for this incredible distinction.""
The 2002 MAC Freshman of the Year, Obras helped guide Ball State to the MAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, as well as a berth in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship her inaugural campaign. As a sophomore in 2003, she smashed a Ball State and then-MAC single-season record 695 kills.
A first-team All-MAC selection in each of her first three college seasons, Obras earned honorable mention honors as a senior after battling back from injury. She was also a 2003 AVCA All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention and named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American Third Team.
Inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, Obras was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. She still holds program records for career matches with double-figure kills (101) and 20-or-more kills (37), while five of Ball State's top ten single-match kill totals still bear her name.
"This honor is only possible because of God working in my life and providing for me the amazing teammates, coaches, family and support system I had throughout my career," Obras added. "I will not take for granted the opportunity to celebrate their part in this honor as well."
In addition to her current job in finance and business operations, she is an assistant coach at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, where the Royals won back-to-back IHSAA state volleyball titles in 2022 and 2023. The Royals have won 67 straight matches and were crowned SBLive Sports Volleyball National Champion for the 2023 season. She also helped coach the Indiana Volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year and Indiana Miss Volleyball for the 2023 season.
