By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Miller volleyball team had one of the youngest rosters in the Ozarks – if not the state – last fall, but you wouldn’t have necessarily known that by watching the Cardinals play.
With a lineup filled with sophomores and juniors – only one of whom had significant varsity experience entering the year – the Cardinals won 20 games and advanced to the district championship match.
Those players are now back, a year older and ready for another successful season.
“Hopefully with the experience these girls have gained they can get back on top of the conference and win a district title,” Miller coach Tamra Landers said. “Everything after that is a bonus. The big key is for them to remember that they need to make their own positive mark in the Miller volleyball history books.”
The players are very familiar with those books. Two of them had sisters on the team that won a state championship in 2021, part of three straight runs to the Final Four. Now they have a chance to win the program’s seventh district title since 2015.
“I feel like with our strong history of volleyball here at Miller other teams often think twice when they are getting ready to play us,” Landers said. “With a few of the losses we experienced last year, I want other teams to not underestimate these girls. They are hungry and ready to prove themselves.”
The Cardinals have four juniors who earned all-conference and all-district honors last fall – Camden Stockton, Rachel Nunez, Ashlynn Helton and Loghann Leivan – who’ll be leaders on and off the court.
Stockton, the setter, led the team with 781 assists and 23 aces.
“Last season Camden had just recovered from ACL surgery,” Landers said. “That is behind her, and we expect her to be more confident as our setter and trust that her knee will not slow her down. She has already proved this summer that she is really becoming more versatile.”
Nunez, a middle, recorded a team-best 488 receptions, 372 kills and 58 blocks.
“Rachel is super strong and is able to pound the ball,” Landers said. “With an extra year of experience, we expect her to be more dynamic and have more variety in her hit selection. This will keep the opposing defenses guessing.”
Helton, a middle, will be entering her third varsity season. She led the team with 316 digs and ranked second in every other major statistical category – kills, aces, blocks, receptions and assists.
“Ash is a very smart player and is able to really see the floor,” Landers said. “We expect her to continue to grow as a player and be a positive leader on the court. We will once again rely on Ash to be one of our better defensive players.”
Leivan, a standout basketball player who was playing volleyball for the first time, ranked among the team leaders in digs (292, second), kills (125, third) and receptions (252, third).
“She struggled with confidence and knowledge in volleyball, however she worked hard and became a vital part of our team dynamic,” Landers said. “Over the summer something has just clicked with her, and she has truly excelled. I am excited to see how dominant she can become. I believe with more confidence the sky’s the limit for Loghann this season.”
The Cardinals also have a six-player senior class – outside Kaylee Thom, opposite Lauryn Landers, opposite/outside hitter Kendall Neely, and defensive specialists Alexis Bailey, Meranda Gulick and Addison Forbis – all of whom are returning to the varsity.
Coach Landers on Thom: “Kaylee has been one of those players that has played almost every position on the court throughout her career. She works hard at whatever position that will help our team. We look for her to use her experience and enthusiasm to make a positive impact as an outside this season.”
Coach Landers on Lauryn Landers: “Lauryn has been around volleyball her whole life and knows the game well. This summer we moved her to the right side. Since making that change we have seen an increase in our block on the outside and she is able to find holes in the opposing teams’ defenses. We feel like she will continue to grow in this position and help us reach the next level.”
Coach Landers on Neely: “Kendall has played both outside and right side this summer. She is one of the tallest players we have on the roster. We are hoping that with one more year of experience, Kendall will be able to make a positive impact.”
Coach Landers on Bailey: “Alexis is very agile and quick and is able to get to balls some other girls can’t. Hopefully with another year’s experience, she will use her increased knowledge of the game to make a positive impact on the back row.”
Coach Landers on Gulick: “Meranda is able to play all positions on the back row. She often used her knowledge to help other players remember where they are supposed to be. We look for her to challenge for a spot on the back row this season.”
Coach Landers on Forbis: “Addie always works hard and encourages her teammates. She has gained some confidence on the back row and her passing has really improved. We look for her to challenge for a spot on the back row this season.”
Freshman Laynie Johnson will also compete for playing time.
“Laynie has shown some big promise this summer,” coach Landers said. “She is a hard worker and wants to succeed at a high level. As she gains confidence, we feel like she could make an impact on varsity.”
The Cardinals are also hopeful that junior Mavrie Pritchett will be medically cleared to play this season. Landers said Pritchett was diagnosed with leukemia on the night of Miller’s district championship game last fall.
“No matter what, Mavrie will play some role in our team this year – even if she isn’t cleared to play,” coach Landers said.
Miller’s jamboree details had not been finalized at press time. The Cardinals will open the regular season at the Verona Invitational on August 31, then return home to face Spokane on September 3.
“We always have high expectations in Miller for our volleyball program,” coach Landers said. “With the success that we had last season, it was hard to keep in mind that only one of our players saw consistent varsity time on our team that was second in the state in 2022. These girls worked hard and were able to have a winning season. As a whole, we are very disappointed with the loss in the district championship. I feel like these girls have gained valuable experience from last season and are hungry to get that district championship.”
