Vernon Hills’ Ben Miller gave volleyball a try with a group of friends at Hawthorn Middle School North when he was 12.
He discovered it’s much different from the other sports he had played, like soccer and baseball.
“I just thought it’s a sport that not many people are into,” Miller said. “I was pretty bad throughout middle school, to be honest. Looking back at it, there were definitely some guys who were significantly better than me.
“We had parents who took videos of the games, and I would watch those back a couple of times, like small clips. I couldn’t really block. But I had fun playing the sport with the guys around me, so I just continued.”
Miller got better, though, while playing in club programs and eventually in Vernon Hills’ lower levels.
“I would say the moment that stood out to me is when I switched over to Sky High,” he said. “I was the person we were setting. If we needed a kill, I was the guy that we set. I got significantly better going into high school. I felt much more confident.”
These days, Miller instills confidence in Central Suburban North power Vernon Hills (12-3, 2-0). The 6-foot-3 senior middle hitter had 17 kills and seven digs during the Cougars’ win against Warren in the first match of his second varsity season on March 20 and had racked up 132 kills and 14 aces, both team highs, and 81 digs through Wednesday.
“He wasn’t destined to be this outstanding player,” Vernon Hills coach Chris Curry said. “He just did it with a lot of hard work and willpower. What I’m proudest about is that he’s not 6-6, he’s not the best athlete in the world. But he decides that he wants to be and works hard at that, and it paid off for him. So I’m super happy for him.”
Miller said his teammates deserve that effort from him.
“I feel like I have a responsibility to play as hard as I can,” he said. “We all have been together since freshman year. They’re relying on me like I’m relying on them to play as hard as they can. I’m just trying to get better.”
Miller made an impact last season, when he was named to the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association’s academic all-state team with a 4.4 GPA. He finished with 110 kills and 55 blocks as the Cougars won their third straight regional title and went 30-8.
“My impression of him last year was that he was very versatile,” Curry said. “Even watching him sophomore year over summer camp, we knew he was a kid who could pass very well. We were just impressed with the versatility he had to make that transition. Not everybody really can. He is such a hard worker.”
Miller said he’s glad he took the initiative to try volleyball six years ago.
“I’m incredibly fortunate,” he said. “The guys on this team, we’ve been friends since freshman year. They’re like some of my best friends, and we spent a lot of time together in seasons and out of seasons playing volleyball. It’s definitely some of my best memories throughout high school.”
Miller has decided to attend Purdue to study industrial engineering and said he hopes to play for one of the university’s club teams. First, he wants to help the Cougars accomplish something new.
“If we were to win state, that would be really cool,” he said. “That would be a memory that I would cherish forever for sure.”
Isi Frank Ativie is a freelance reporter.
