Abbie Miller dropped her phone when she saw the news.
The former Pleasant Grove High School athlete had just read the email informing her that she’d been named the Gatorade Utah Volleyball Player of the Year. It was 6 a.m., and upon reading it, she burst into her parents’ room and woke them up.
“I was super humbled and appreciative knowing all the other players I compete against in the state and their abilities and how hard they all work,” Miller said. “I was super honored to get that award knowing all the other girls that could have gotten it. So that was awesome for me.”
Miller graduated from Pleasant Grove in December and is now at Utah Valley University, where she plays on the volleyball team. She helped the Vikings to a 6A state championship over Copper Hills, all while tallying 1,074 assists, 163 digs, 54 kills and 52 service ace as the team’s setter in her senior season.
“After winning state, I was on that high,” Miller said. “Finding out a couple [months] later that I was Gatorade Player of the Year, that was a pretty cool experience for me. It’s been an awesome year.”
Miller credited her teammates and coaches — including Allyce Jones, who stepped down after last season — for helping her win the award.
“I couldn’t have done it without any of those guys,” Miller said.
Miller is the fourth volleyball player from Pleasant Grove to win the award. The most recent was Heather Gneiting, who currently plays at Brigham Young University.
“Abbie is deserving of this award because of her ability to inspire her teammates from her leadership skills and how she is a quarterback on the court with her ability to run a successful offense,” Jones said in an email.
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