Volleyballer turned powerlifter Miller back with Bobcats

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This article was published 03/05/2025 (378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steph Miller thought this door was closed for good.

One incident during her rookie season with the Brandon University Bobcats led to then-head coach Lee Carter removing her from the women’s volleyball team.

Devastated but not defeated, the Grande Prairie, Alta., native stayed in the Wheat City and stayed involved in volleyball every way she could.

More than six years later — since Carter has been removed following a string of issues BU has repeatedly declined to disclose — Miller has rejoined the program and is set for her sophomore season to start this fall.

“It’s honestly hard to find the words. I’m unbelievably stoked but overall just crazy grateful for the opportunity,” Miller said.

“I didn’t ever expect this to come back around again. I had kind of come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to be playing at this level anymore and I took a shot, sent an email and ended up here.

“I wouldn’t in a million years have guessed this was where I was going to end up at almost 25 but I’m so excited.”

Brandon quickly grew on the five-foot-11 outside hitter from the moment she arrived in 2018.

She joined senior women’s and co-ed teams to keep playing the game she’s called her No. 1 passion since she was 10 years old.

Miller played in every tournament she could as well while working a few jobs and chipping away at her bachelor’s of physical education at BU.

A few years ago, having developed a passion for weight training, she dove deep into powerlifting and competed provincially.

Her personal bests include a squat of 248 pounds, a deadlift of 319.6 pounds and a bench press of 115.7 pounds.

While powerlifting and volleyball require significantly different movements, Miller feels the training has translated well and it was certainly on display at the Bobcats’ spring fitness testing.

“Even in that area where it’s functional fitness, which is something I haven’t really done a lot in recent years, because I’ve been strength training and taking that stuff seriously the past couple of years … it’s crazy how much that has transferred onto the court,” Miller said.

“I can hit the ball harder and I can jump higher than I could previously.”

Miller joined the Bobcats as a right side but has played a lot more on the left as one of the stronger players in senior leagues. She admits it’ll be an adjustment passing balls at the Canada West level but is ready for the challenge. And there’s certainly an opportunity to get back into game action sooner rather than later since Avery Burgar and Kallie Ball, who handled most of the starting time on the left side, have both graduated.

Cassidy Hauta is back as the likely starter at right side, but Georgia Johnson is the only returnee with significant left side time.

Miller isn’t simply expecting that job though.

“I in no way expect to walk on and start starting,” she said. “I need to earn my spot and need to prove I deserve to be there, not just to (coach) Kailan (Robinson) but to the other girls and myself.”

She took the past year off school and figures she has a year or two left in her undergraduate degree, then two years of education with plans of teaching high school afterwards.

She spent this winter and spring coaching a 13-and-under Bandits Volleyball Club team and feels ready to be the one in a jersey again.

“I learned a lot from my first-year experience. Regardless of how it played out, I’m appreciative of that experience,” she said.

“Needing to step away from something that meant so, so much to me, made me gain some perspective and grow a lot as a person. Everyone makes mistakes, things happen but as long as you can learn from them and grow from them, at the end of the day you should come out the other side.

“I definitely moped around for a little bit but I think I took what happened and turned it into something beautiful. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come as a person.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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