By Tom Rohrer
It’s difficult to turn a devastating injury into a positive memory.
Even so, that’s exactly what Elma High School volleyball star Brenna Miller has done.
Last Halloween, Miller went down with a torn ACL midway through the Eagles match against Forks.
Miller, a first team All-Evergreen (1A) League setter, was picked up by her teammates, both literally and figuratively, as the Eagles would go on to win the match in their season finale.
Speaking about her injury almost ten months later, Miller focuses on the positives of that night.
“My team was there for me, and it was a moment where I realized that they would be there for me whenever I needed them,” said the incoming senior. “It was very meaningful to me.”
She had surgery on her knee in early December, which set the stage for an arduous and physically demanding rehab process. Miller was forced to miss the travel club spring and summer season for the first time in years, as she set her eyes solely on returning to the court for the Eagles.
“It was incredibly challenging and I had to be extra positive,” she said. “I kept saying to myself, I’m going to get on the court, I’m going to be ready for next season. It’s still tiring sometimes, but I get through it.”
“Volleyball is getting me through all of this,” she concluded.
A member of the Elma varsity squad since her freshmen year, Miller faced challenges as an underclassman that prepared her for her rehab and her role as a senior leader.
“I had never been a setter really and that was tough, really almost scary at first,” she said of her freshmen season. “There were girls who showed me the way, how to stay prepared, all of that. Now, I’m trying to be that figure. I want to show our younger girls the right path, and that’s been a lot of my focus heading into this season.”
Communication is key at Miller’s position, as she continually has to direct traffic for the Eagles on the court. Already a vocal teammate, Miller developed even more communication skills prior to her senior season.
“I need to help teammates find weaker spots on the other side, whether it’s a weaker passer or setter,” she said. “I find holes in the blockers, and help (my teammates) become better hitters and passers by setting them up. There is a lot of chatter from me, and I need to have that going all season.”
Miller began playing volleyball nine years ago at the South Sound YMCA. Her mom, the Eagles JV coach, was Brenna’s first coach, and that mother/daughter, coach/player relationship continues.
“It’s funny because I’ll think of her as mom, and then the game starts and I’ll think of her as coach,” she said. “But it is fun. We both have a passion for the game and that strengthens the bond between us.”
During previous summers, Miller would travel around the region and the country playing for teams such as the Olympia Volleyball Club and Evergreen Juniors Volleyball Club. Playing against top players in high pressure environments has left a lasting impact on Miller’s game.
“You’re going up against players and teams you wouldn’t see during high school and that raises your adrenaline through the roof,” she commented. “You have to play and stay composed in that setting and I think that’s really helped my confidence and my thought process during the game.”
Miller is a strategist during a match, constantly observing tendencies and positions of the opposing squad. The mental side of the game is what continues to draw her back to the sport.
“Everything sort of slows down when you’re playing. You think about what you’re going to do and then you see the play form in front of you,” she described. “I like that mental battle against the other team.”
There will certainly be plenty of mental battles this upcoming season for Miller and the Eagles. Playing in a familiar and competitive Evergreen League pushes Miller to her limits, a facet of the games she enjoys.
“When we play Hoquiam or Montesano, you know a lot of the girls on their team. Not only that, but they’re very talented too,” she said. “I always want to be pushed to my limits – that’s what motivates me. Those matches really push me.”
Now back to full participation in workouts, Miller and the rest of the Eagles are in the midst of preparing for a major improvement. The competition between teammates is high in exercises such as lunges and long distance runs. Such work is necessary to make improvements on the previous season.
Last year, the Eagles finished near the bottom of the league standings. While Elma’s record didn’t show it, Miller is adamant that the program has made huge strides in recent years.
“The improvements we have made in the last two or three years, I really notice them,” she said. “Again, we haven’t won as many matches as we would’ve liked to, but the improvement and hard work is there.”
Now staring down her last season and senior year of school, Miller is preparing for her life after Elma High School. So far she has been in touch with the coaching staff at Grays Harbor College and Saint Martin’s University.
“I want to play college ball and I want to go to college,” she said. “That has always been a goal of mine.”
Until then, Miller plans on doing what she loves best – playing volleyball with her teammates.
“It’s hard to think that this is my last year,” she said. “The memories I’ve had with these girls, they will last my lifetime. I don’t want them to end.”
All photos courtesy Brenna Miller.
