"It felt like the right fit. It was close to home,” Sorenson said. “ISU gave me a great scholarship and allowed me to pursue an education in teaching.”
ISU turned out to be the right fit. She was able to play both volleyball and softball for the Bengals and made a name for herself as one of the best pitchers ISU has ever seen.
But being a two-sport student-athlete wasn't always as glamorous as it may have appeared, requiring some extra grit from Sorenson.
"It was challenging,” she said. “I had to work harder to stay caught up with everyone else and with my schoolwork.”
Despite those challenges, Sorenson became a dominant pitcher. According to ISU Athletics, Sorenson had the highest records in 15 categories for pitchers by the end of her season.
The Bengal legend credited her success in college to the perfect combination of hard work and an ensemble of support, recalling countless hours of practice with her pitcher. She said because of the teachers, coaches and Bengal community, she was able to reach her full potential.
Perhaps Sorenson's greatest athletic honor came after her career at ISU had come to a close. In 1990, she was inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame, making her just the third woman ever awarded the honor.
"It was an incredible honor and one that I am still proud to have today," Sorenson said.
Sorenson went on to coach
softball at Skyline High School for 35 years and
volleyball for 26 years.
"I had a passion for sports and loved to coach younger kids. I knew that coaching in high school would be something that I could do every day and enjoy it," Sorenson said.
After taking a break from coaching, Blackfoot approached Sorenson with the head coaching job for the softball team. Sorenson gladly accepted the position. The Broncos finished
last year 15-5, thanks to the help of 4A District 6 Player of the Year Chloe Chronquist, another senior whose final season was cut short.