Miller finds form as Bobcats take Bisons to four
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Steph Miller is proving she’s the player she aspired to be when she moved to Brandon seven years ago.
While she didn’t make it through her rookie year before she was removed from the Brandon University women’s volleyball team, she’s certainly making the most of the second chance she received this year.
Miller led the Bobcats (0-8) with 11 kills, four aces and 10 digs in a gritty 3-1 (25-14, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17) loss to the defending national champion Manitoba Bisons (4-2) at the Healthy Living Centre on Saturday.
Steph Miller led the Brandon University Bobcats with 11 kills and four aces in a four-set loss to the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“I love it. I have so much fun out there and the team is just so supportive all the time,” Miller said.
“It’s so easy to feel like I didn’t really take much time away when you have a group around you that is so supportive, so encouraging and cheers each other on like we do.”
The five-foot-11 outside hitter was by far BU’s scoring leader on the night. Like Friday, it was nearly enough as Brandon led in most of the sets and was a few breaks away from going the distance, or even winning its first match of the season.
On the other side, the Bisons weren’t satisfied with three close sets and being forced to overcome deficits on Friday.
They led wire-to-wire in the first, serving the Bobcats into trouble and taking middle blocker Nerissa Dyer, their best hitter in the first match, completely out of the game.
Manitoba superstar Raya Surinx put up seven kills and two aces in the set while Brandon had six kills and seven errors, making for a quick opening frame.
Brandon kept the second set a little more competitive, but only after trailing 8-3.
The Bobcats strung three points together on a few Bisons errors in the middle of the set and narrowed the gap to 19-17 with tough serving and scrappy defence.
But they still had to be close to perfect down the stretch and made a few too many errors to catch up as the U of M went up 2-0.
The Bobcats made an adjustment before the third set, starting rookie outside hitter Brynn Wildeboer and moving Miller to opposite for a struggling Cassidy Hauta. They battled hard, putting up a few key blocks on Bisons seniors Surinx and Eve Catojo to lead 12-11.
Bobcat middle blocker Alexa Parken attacks during the third set. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
Alexa Parken blocked Surinx to put BU up 17-15, then Steph Miller picked up two big kills on a three-point run to lead 22-19.
The Bobcats snagged enough late points to have two chances to end the set and used both as Dyer knocked one off a block and down.
“The way we bounced back energy-wise, we stayed really competitive all the way through,” Miller said. “We had some players coming in off the bench that made key plays to keep us in the game, and I think we were playing so much as a team and playing free. “That’s when we do our best.”
Brandon trailed early in the fourth but clawed back on one massive, five-point Miller serving run to lead 14-13.
BU stayed ahead 17-15, but that’s where it all fell apart. Rookie setter Julia Martens served the Bisons on a back-breaking 10-point run featuring five kills by opposite Ella Gray.
The fifth-year finished with 17 kills and no errors, plus four blocks and two aces without missing a serve.
Surinx also posted 17 kills with six errors while the Bisons had 61 and 14 to the Bobcats’ 41 and 24.
Saturday goes in the books as merely another small win for BU.
“Obviously, it’s nice to take a set off the defending national champions,” Miller said. “I think we knew it was going to be a big task coming into the weekend and I think we did a really good job at preparing this week.
“I think the job’s not finished, we have lots to do this season and it keeps showing over and over again that we do have potential to compete in this league.”
Brandon's Brynn Wildeboer passes during the third set. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
The Bobcats have a bye this week, then host the UBC Okanagan Heat the following weekend.
It’s Bobcat newcomer Maddy Hettinga’s former team. The Canada West rookie of the year in 2022 subbed in for a few points and recorded her first kill as an outside hitter late in the first set.
“I know that Maddy is probably very excited to come up against her old team,” Miller said.
“Everyone’s just really excited. We want to keep working, we want to keep focused and keep pushing towards scoring more and eventually the wins will come.”
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
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