ISU volleyball player Laura Cady and assistant coach Dawn Sullivan have a different relationship than anyone else on the team – they are sisters.

Cady, a senior from Marshall, Minn., had been at Iowa State for a year when Christy Johnson took the head coaching job. When there was an assistant opening, it was Cady who insisted her sister should look into the job.

“I wasn’t going to look at it because Laura was on the team, and I didn’t want to interfere with her college life,” Sullivan said. “She really encouraged me to just apply and take a look at it, so I did.

“The rest is history, I guess.”

Since then, Cady and Sullivan have been able to get to know each other better – something they did not have a chance do when they were younger because of a considerable age difference. Sullivan is eight years older than Cady and was already at Kansas State when Cady got to high school.

Cady said she likes the situation because she now has family close to her.

“I live about five hours away, so if I want to hang out with my family I just have to go 10 minutes,” Cady said. “I never really knew my sister growing up because she was so much older, so it’s just been really fun getting to know her as a coach and a person.”

Sullivan said it is great having Cady around because they are so much alike.

“It’s good to see how much she has matured both as a player and a person,” Sullivan said. “Off the court, I really enjoy having her be a part of my family. I have three children, and she’s been a major part of that.”

Sullivan was an All-American outside hitter at Kansas State in 1999 and led the team to four straight NCAA appearances. She is still third all-time in both kills and digs, with more than 1,000 each.

Cady said her sister is the main reason she decided to play volleyball.

“I grew up at K-State every weekend and I thought it was the coolest thing,” Cady said. “She played a Division I sport and I’ve always looked up to her for that.”

Cady got her opportunity with Iowa State when she was recruited playing club volleyball after her senior year of high school. She said she got a chance to accomplish her dream, which she didn’t think she would get.

“I’ve just always wanted to play Division I volleyball,” Cady said. “I just ended up coming here and it’s been a great experience because Christy, Joe and Dawn are great coaches.”

Cady has improved steadily as a passer since her freshman year to the point of being one of the primary passers on the team. Cady was fourth on the team with 309 digs last season, and Johnson said Cady is one of the most improved players since she came to Iowa State.

“When we first got here, she just wasn’t quite sure what she would be able to contribute to the team,” Johnson said. “Laura’s whole career has been all about improvement.”

Johnson said Sullivan, who made previous coaching stops at Kansas State and Illinois State, is great to have on the staff because she is an outstanding coach and recruiter.

“It’s hard to find assistants who are good at several different things,” Johnson said. “She’s great at both, and if she chooses to go in the direction of head coaching, I think she’s going to do very well.”

Both Sullivan and Cady, along with Johnson, have played a large part in the three-year turnaround of the Cyclone program.

When she was a freshman, Cady said she never expected the amazing run to the NCAA Tournament the Cyclones made last season. Since Sullivan, who coaches the outside hitters, has come to the program, the team hitting percentage has gone up from .144 to .230.

“It’s real exciting just to see the program develop and to see how much heart everyone on our team has put into it,” Cady said.

Sullivan, who did not get to see her sister play much in high school, said the biggest similarity she has seen between the way she played and the way her sister plays is their determination.

“She’s very competitive and she is never going to give up,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know if my family installed it, but she fights for every point she has, every second she’s out on the court.”