Weatherford High School senior Mallory Miller remembers when she quit soccer to pursue volleyball.

“It all started when my sister [Hannah] started playing club volleyball out of Weatherford. I’d always want to be that ‘little sister’ that could play volleyball with all of the older girls,” Miller said. “I was eventually allowed to practice with them. Now, I am roughly 7 years into my volleyball career.”

Growing up as that ‘little sister’ taught Miller about the game and about life. She wanted to do everything Hannah did.

“She’s always been a top supporter of mine, so she’s constantly dishing out advice,” Miller said. “I can always look up to her.”

Now, Miller has blazed an impressive career in her own right.

“Mallory was a go-to player last year and we expect that again. She has a great all around game and is a great leader on the floor. We expect a big senior year,” Weatherford head coach Scott Miller said.

In 2021, she tried out for High Performance, the national tournament team.

“You are with the bests in the state, competing to make the team and go travel to the destination the tournament will be at,” Miller said. “I got a call during school one day offering me a spot on the team. I won’t forget that day. I was so proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone.”

Miller and her High Performance teammates practiced a couple weekends before heading out to the tournament in Orlando, Florida.

“The first practice we had was eye-opening,” Miller said. “I was the only player from western Oklahoma.

All of my teammates were from the City area and Tulsa, so I felt like I was representing this part of Oklahoma. . . It motivates me to work even harder. I embrace the higher competition that these bigger schools and athletes bring.”

Volleyball isn’t Miller’s only talent. She’s also a talented musician. Her dad was in a band while she was growing up, leading Miller to pick up piano and guitar.

“We have always loved to listen to music and sing along. We all bond over music,” Miller said. “I did choir throughout my middle school years.”

Now, the multi-talented teen approaches an anticipated senior year. On the volleyball court, she expects to see success this fall.

“We have four seniors this year that all will be playing, but other than that our team is pretty young. We have a lot of versatility throughout, so we can move people around as needed,” Miller said. “There’s improvement to be made each and every day and that is a focus for us. We play for each other and will always pick each other up when needed. Everything is earned. Nothing is given, and we play with that mentality.”