Oh, to be a freshman in college again. Your first year away from home, first year as a semi-autonomous adult, and first year with the friends you'll have for the rest of your life. Everything is exciting and new. McKenna Miller, freshman outside hitter at BYU, has even more to be excited about than your average first-year student. Not only does Miller get to experience her freshman year on campus, she gets to experience it on the volleyball court for a top-flight D1 volleyball program.
A Murrieta, CA native, Miller played for her high school varsity squad for three years. She was named all-league, all-area, and the Best Offensive Player in 2014-15. Now a member of the BYU women's volleyball team, she's shown why.
In six games so far — all wins — Miller has played every set. She leads the team in kills (104) and total attacks (230), both by significant margins.
I talked to Miller about her fantastic start, her feelings coming into the season, and her experience so far as a BYU volleyball player.
"It feels really good to finally start competing in games," Miller said. "We put in a lot of work over summer, so it's really fun to get to go out and see our efforts on the court,"
The one thing one might expect from a freshman in their first few games is nervousness. Think about it — to go from playing on your high school team to one of the top 25 D1 teams in the country? It's a lot to take in! Not for Miller though.
"I don't know if I was necessarily nervous, but I was just excited," she said. "I knew the Smith Fieldhouse was going to have a huge crowd, and I was excited to get to experience competing in that environment with my team."
Her team is definitely happy to have her as well.
"They need me to score points, so that's what I'll have to continue doing," Miller said. "I've learned a lot about keeping things simple. Sometimes I get really excited during games and will almost spazz out on my techniques. So, I’ve been trying to really stay focused on doing what I know how to do and not making things harder for myself."
Catch McKenna Miller and the BYU women's volleyball team this weekend at the Idaho State Invitational in Pocatello,ID. Here's their weekend schedule:
Friday, Sept. 9 vs. Boise State at 4:00 p.m. MDT
Saturday, Sept. 10 vs. Missouri at 12:00 a.m. MDT
Saturday, Sept. 10 at Idaho State at 7:00 p.m. MDT
