Xavier University Athletics
Sharing Love Through Sports, Jonny Mennell and Caroline Speelman Welcome First Child
08.14.26 | General, Men's Soccer, Volleyball
CINCINNATI - Late during Xavier men's soccer's 3-0 win over Robert Morris on September 4, 2022, freshman goalkeeper Jonny Mennell diverted his eyes across the pitch and into the Corcoran Field bleachers. With the match all but over, Mennell, who was redshirting his first season in Cincinnati, locked eyes with a fellow freshman student-athlete sitting in the first row. "I started to daydream a little bit and so I looked across the field and I saw this girl sitting down on the rocks right next to the stands and I recognized her. And it was Caroline," Mennell recalled.
Coincidentally, Mennell's mother and sister also noticed the same girl, Musketeers volleyball player Caroline Speelman. "His mom and sister were at that game as well. And the next morning, they were like, 'we saw this pretty girl and she was the only one in her friend group actually watching the game.' And they were describing her, so Jonny showed them a picture and said, 'was it her, by chance?' And they were like, 'yeah, it was!'" Speelman recollected.
Speelman also remembered that she almost didn't even attend that Sunday evening match against the Colonials. As Xavier volleyball's only freshman in the high school class of 2022, she resided with three lacrosse student-athletes in Buenger Hall once arriving on campus. As fate would have it, Mennell also had a connection in Buenger Hall, teammate Dylan Kropp, who was able to link the pair at a Labor Day party the following night. "I thought you may come, so I asked Dylan to introduce me to you, and then we've been inseparable since," Mennell laughed.
Through ups and downs, wins and losses, good and bad, Mennell and Speelman have been at each other's side for nearly four years now. And this past Spring, they welcomed their first child, Sophia Marie Mennell. Born in Columbus on April 17th, 2026, the now four-month-old has an infectious smile and loads of personality. "She seems so smiley, and so sweet, and she's calm like her mom as well. She doesn't waver. She doesn't really get out of sorts. She just kind of goes with the flow like her mom," Mennell said of his daughter.
Speelman added that young Sophia has taken after her dad's humor, saying, "She has a really good personality. I think she has her dad's silliness and comedic timing."
Although the couple came from different backgrounds, the city of Cincinnati and Xavier University have become their adopted home. Speelman, who left Westerville's Big Walnut High School with three conference titles and the most kills in school history, originally wanted to go further from home, but the recruiting challenges of COVID opened her eyes to Xavier both as a school and a volleyball program. "The first time I visited was on a student tour, and going around campus, I could actually see myself going here, even if it wasn't for the volleyball," she said.
Mennell, whose father Mathes coached soccer for 12 years at fellow Jesuit institution Loyola Marymount, felt a similar connection during his recruitment to Xavier. "When I came and toured here, how people talked about it and how the people were, it just felt like home," he stated.
Mennell and Speelman, who are now engaged with a date set for next June here in Cincinnati, have established the Queen City and Xavier University as their adopted home. "Now starting our own little family, it's just wherever we are feels like home. We have so many great memories here now. Cincinnati does feel like home," Mennell said.
"Coming to Xavier, I realized how nice it was to be close to family. Especially now that her grandma and grandpa can see her," Speelman added while holding Sophia.
Part of the city becoming home has been the support the pair have received, specifically from their head coaches. Mennell noted that every coach claims to care for their athletes as individuals, but Xavier men's soccer head coach John Higgins actually embodies it. "Higgs has been such a great mentor and person to have in our corner. Throughout this whole entire process, he's made sure that everything's going alright. I couldn't have asked for a better head coach to have in that process," Mennell said.
For Speelman, the support she received from Xavier volleyball head coach Christy Pfeffenberger as she stepped away from the sport to care for the baby was profoundly affirming. "It was definitely hard. I think it didn't hit me at first. It was my life since I was in the 4th grade. Christy was super understanding and so supportive, and that made it a lot easier for me," Speelman said. She also noted that former athletic trainer Jordan Johnson aided her in navigating the end of her volleyball career, while Sophia has already found a friend in teammate Margo Kemp.
Before graduating last December with a degree in marketing, Speelman accumulated 200 kills across a three-year career, helping to lay the foundation for a Xavier program that set a school record with 26 wins in 2025. Speelmann remained with the program en route to its third NCAA Tournament appearance while preparing for her pregnancy.
For Mennell, now a graduate student with a degree from Xavier's sports management program, soccer has brought its fair share of highs and lows. His freshman season saw the Musketeers rank as high as No. 9 in the nation, then as a sophomore in 2023, Mennell claimed the starting goalkeeper role and led Xavier to its first NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade. In the Big East Championship against No. 3 Georgetown, Mennell posted a clean sheet with seven saves, punctuated by two game-winning stops in the deciding penalty kicks.
"You feel like you're on top of the world and this college soccer thing is pretty fun when you get to win all the time and you get cool awards. Then you win nine games over the next two years, but in those moments, you find joy and lean into your teammates and brothers a bit more," he said.
He continued by adding, "You build those relationships and come with the same mentality of wanting to improve every single day. I think that's one thing I've learned a lot from being a dad, is that you can't control everything, but you can control your mindset and your preparation."
The couple believe these experiences as student-athletes have prepared them to be better parents and better partners. "Being a student-athlete, you just get things done. When she was newborn, we were getting two hour stretches [of sleep], but you find a way to get it done because of the love we have for her. It's the same with your sport, you get through hard stuff no matter how you're feeling," Speelman assessed.
Speelmann also acknowledged that, "You can read all the books and go to all the classes, but I think it just comes kind of naturally. We rely a lot on our instincts."
She joked that Mennell prepared by watching Instagram dad reels, but being present, something they both learned from their own parents, is most important. "The amount of love you're filled with every single day. You can be having a bad day, or something's not going right, maybe you don't feel great, but her little smile or her laugh instantly just makes me feel better," Speelman said of her experience as a mother.
Mennell said that he has tried to be as involved and helpful as possible, remarking, "You just don't realize how selfish you are until you have your own child. You realize how much you used to think about yourself, yourself, yourself, and now you think about someone else. You realize things that you thought mattered a lot don't matter as much."
"It's been cool to see him come home and leave the fatigue, the exhaustion, and be so present for Sophia and me," Speelman said, adding, "You were right there every time I needed something. I didn't change a single diaper for the first two weeks." She also joked that every nurse commented how involved Mennell was during Sophia's delivery.
In the end though, Mennell knows that Speelman's job as a mother for Sophia is much more difficult and transformative than any shot he will have to save this fall for the Musketeers. "Her ability to push through hard stuff has definitely shown me that I could be a little tougher," he reflected.
Now with one season left at Xavier before Sophia accompanies him down the aisle to marry the love of his life, Mennell hopes to be the best captain he can for a Xavier team aiming to find the form of Mennell's breakout 2023 campaign. "Hopefully we win some games, but more than that, I want to be able to pour into my teammates and make sure that they have a positive experience this year, because college soccer is pretty hard. With the rest of my time at Xavier, I want to make sure I'm leaving a positive legacy so when I leave this place, people talk about me as a great teammate and a great leader. I think that's more important," he stated.
Asked where becoming a dad ranks amongst Big East Champion, Big East Most Outstanding Defensive Player, and college graduate, Mennell concluded by saying, "It's number one by far. 100%. I've been able to do some cool stuff in soccer, but this puts it all in perspective. I do love this game. But you figure out what real love is when you have your first child."
