Sports
Olivia Miller commits to Findlay – Morning Journal
The recruiting process wasn’t easy for Olivia Miller, but her college decision was at the end of the day.
Heading into her senior year, the Bay outside hitter announced her commitment to play Division II volleyball at the University of Findlay.
Although Findlay isn’t Bay Village, it felt like home.
“Everybody always talks about the feeling you get when this is the right one,” Miller said. “It took a little while, but I just got that feeling this is the choice I need to make and it felt like the right time. I got that feeling of belonging.”
With a bigger role, Miller had a monster junior season in 2024. She led the Rockets with 4.7 kills and 3.6 digs per set and earned Cleveland West Conference Player of the Year honors. Miller was also an All-District and Morning Journal first-team selection.
Bay also finished 21-3 with an undefeated conference record and a Division III district final appearance.
Trying to make her decision, Miller had a few things for which she was looking. She wanted to play in D-II for a good program that was close to home.
Findlay checked all the boxes. The Oilers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance last year since 2017 and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. They also won their first-ever Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament championship.
“They have amazing coaches. Coach Wick (Colchagoff) and Coach Hannah (Tong), I can’t say enough about them,” Miller said. “Their team culture really stood out to me. I loved the way the team interacted at the practices I was at. That’s really the big thing that I was looking for. Coach Wick and Coach Hannah brought a lot to the team, and that was very important to me.”
While navigating through the recruiting process, Miller had a helping hand in Bay coach Katie Seal. In her 12 seasons at Bay, Seal has been fortunate to see a handful of her talented players go on to play college volleyball.
Miller has been a pillar of the program for the past few years, so it’s an exciting time to say the least.
“It means everything,” Seal said. “She’s been through the process just chatting with me about her experiences with these different colleges. It’s been nice to have that relationship with her, too. All of her choices were going to be phenomenal for her, and I’m just so happy she landed at a place she’s really excited about. It’s just really exciting for her and us as a Bay family.”
Seal has also seen Miller’s growth from her freshman year to now. Back in 2022 when Miller debuted on the varsity, Seal described her as a quiet player and has now seen her blossom into the player and leader she is today.
“Olivia has evolved a lot,” Seal said. “She has really become a leader between last season and even here in the offseason. All the younger girls really look up to her. She’s not going out there just trying to get all the points herself. She’s really helping the team get better. You can see that in open gyms and even in our conditioning and weightlifting.”
Bay has been very successful in Miller’s time wearing a Rockets’ uniform. Now with her senior season coming up, Miller is ready to end her career with a bang.
When her time at Bay comes to an end, Miller is excited for what’s to come at Findlay.
“I’m thrilled,” she said. “I’ve already got contact information for some of the girls that are also committed. I’m really excited to make some new friends. I’m following everyone on Instagram and seeing what everybody’s up to. I’m just really excited to be a part of a program with the history that Findlay has.”
Originally Published: