Sarah Wilhite Parsons

Born in 1995, Sarah Wilhite Parsons began her volleyball career in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She attended Eden Prairie High School, where she was recognized as the Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. Her club experience with Northern Lights Volleyball Club included leading her team to win the 17 Open Division at the 2012 Girls’ Junior National Championships. She continued her academic and athletic career at the University of Minnesota, playing for the Golden Gophers from 2013 to 2016. During her collegiate tenure, she was a key player, contributing significantly to the team’s success.

Parsons’ collegiate career culminated in a standout senior season in 2016. She earned numerous accolades, becoming the first Gopher to be named both the AVCA and espnW National Player of the Year. She was also recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Year and an AVCA First Team All-American, averaging 4.20 kills per set. She helped lead Minnesota to its second consecutive NCAA Final Four appearance in 2016. Following her collegiate success, Parsons joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2017, earning the USAV Female Indoor Most Improved Player award in 2018. She has represented the U.S. in multiple international competitions, contributing to gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 NORCECA Pan American Cups, the 2019 NORCECA Champions Cup, and the 2023 NORCECA Pan Am Cup Final Six. She was also an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Her professional club career has taken her across the globe, playing in Italy for Busto (2017–2018), Germany for Allianz MTV Stuttgart (2018–2019), Brazil for Sesi Vôlei Bauru (2019–2020), and Japan for NEC Red Rockets (2020–). With Allianz MTV Stuttgart, she secured a German Bundesliga gold medal in 2019. In Japan, she led NEC Red Rockets to a Japan SV.League and Empress’ Cup Japan Championship in her second season (2022-2023). She also signed with the Omaha Supernovas in 2025.