In baseball, a power pitcher’s fastball makes a different noise when the ball hits the catcher’s glove. The noise carries all the way to the upper deck.
The same can be said in volleyball when Emporia State’s Brittney Miller’s left hand violently connects with the ball. The echo can be heard throughout White Auditorium, an indicator that Miller’s spikes come at the defense at a speed they rarely see.
“If she gets that ball on the court, there’s very, very few people who can pass her,” Arica Shepard said. “... If she gets that in without being blocked, she’s unstoppable.”
It may come as a surprise to opposing defenses that Miller is playing this season with an injured left shoulder. Miller had an MRI before the season that showed she had a strained rotator cuff and a bone bruise.
Somehow, the injury has not affected her play, which is a big reason why the third-ranked Hornets are a perfect 13-0.
Miller is ninth in the MIAA in kills per set (3.27) and ninth in hitting percentage (.310), and she only seems to be getting better as the season progresses.
Over the weekend, Miller had 17 kills with a .452 hitting percentage against Northwest Missouri and 18 kills on a .593 hitting percentage against Missouri Western.
“As hard as she hits the ball, if her shoulder’s hurting, I’d never know,” Amy Byfield said.
Miller is hurting, and she tries not to let her teammates know, but she admits it’s a constant ache. While working with a rubber band on Wednesday at practice, Miller was holding her shoulder. She tries to ice and heat her shoulder every day and has adjusted her workout routine, lifting lighter weights.
As for her play on the court, Miller has not let it affect her style.
“I don’t think I’ve changed at all,” she said. “I’m not going to change. If I mess it up, I can say I was going hard and not half speed.”
Miller’s teammates and coaches — on both the volleyball and basketball teams — are keeping their fingers crossed that Miller doesn’t damage her shoulder any more — a tear would be worse.
“I’ve definitely said some prayers that she’s OK,” Byfield said.
Without Miller, the Hornets would have a prayer’s chance of reaching their goals this season.
Coach Bing Xu said Miller has become a leader this season as a junior, and she makes the ESU offense extremely dangerous when she’s in. Miller is one of the most productive hitters in the league. She ranks in the top 10 in points and kills, yet she only plays half the time because she does not play the back row.
“She has all the tools, and the thing she needs to focus on more and needs to remember is she’s the one to carry this team,” Xu said. “She has more responsibility, and when you have more responsibility, you have to do more for the team instead of just do one skill at a time.”
Byfield said she feels Miller has matured from last season and is a more cerebral hitter.
“Since her freshman year, she’s gotten a lot smarter and she’s one heck of an athlete,” Byfield said. “It’s channeling all of that athleticism into volleyball and doing the right things and the smart things at the right time.
“She’s gotten a lot better and really good at that this year, putting the ball in places where no one can hit it back and effectively tipping as opposed to just wailing on it, or tipping when she knows she’s in trouble.”
Miller’s kill numbers have improved — she averaged 2.67 per set last year — possibly because of the adjustments she’s made at the net. But Shepard believes confidence is the main reason Miller’s numbers have increased.
“She kind of has the attitude, ‘try to stop me,’” Shepard said. “A little bit of a cocky attitude, which, it works. We need that out there. She gets it in her mind that nobody can stop her, and nobody can really.”
It’s that stubbornness that has allowed Miller to play through her pain.
“I don’t think about it until after the game,” she said. “‘Oh, that hurts now.’ As long as we’ve won, it’s OK.”
Kaiser returns to practice
Senior middle hitter Katelyn Kaiser was cleared to practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring her knee on Sept. 5 against Northwood.
Kaiser did some light jumping on Tuesday, and Xu said he will slowly work Kaiser back into practice, and she should be ready to return in a couple weeks.
Battle of
top 10 teams
Central Missouri is ranked ninth in Division II volleyball and will be the highest-ranked team the third-ranked Hornets have faced this season.
The Mules are 12-3 and 2-1 in the MIAA, their only loss in conference coming to Pittsburg State. The Mules’ only losses in the nonconference both came against Concordia-St. Paul, the top-ranked team in the country.
Tonight’s game in Warrensburg, Mo., starts at 7 p.m.
admireed (anonymous) says...
ESU Lost to Central 3-0
September 23, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )