Thursday, November 6, 1997
The go-to gal
FEATURE: Kara Milling’s vocal leadership, skills on court
integrates team
By Jennifer Kollenborn
Daily Bruin Staff
To a sixth-grader standing at 5-feet-7-inches, she can’t miss
material. When a player set a ball for schoolmate Kara Milling back
at Twin Peaks Junior High School, one has to think that the
opposing team trembled with fear as a towering Milling drilled the
volleyball right at them.
Now, ten years after her middle school days, 6-foot-1-inch
Milling, captain of the UCLA women’s volleyball team, will soon be
deciding what to do about her future in volleyball – a future
Milling unquestionably has – if she wants one. As the only senior
outside hitter for the Bruins, Milling leads her team with 429
total kills, averaging 5.80 kpg, which currently ranks her as No. 1
in the nation and second on the all-time best in the Pac-10.
Milling has seen acclaim and attention that few athletes on her
team have.
Three years ago, Milling and the Bruin squad finished second in
the nation after losing to Stanford in the finals.
Since that night, Milling has wanted to win the NCAA title,
which doesn’t surprise most athletes of her high caliber of play,
but her winning aspirations have kept the Bruins alive this year,
as she is consistently the most vocal on the court, pushing her
team to play its best.
Granted, the other top players on the opposing teams can
sometimes be intimidating, but Milling’s unforgettable winning
experiences have shaped her into an outstanding volleyball
player.
"In high school, at one point, we were the number-one team in
the nation, and it was such a big deal," Milling said. "In the four
years that I was there, Poway (High School) had a really good team,
and we were considered the best group that was ever there – we won
the CIF and made it to the quarter finals in the state
playoffs."
Milling continues her desire to be the best. To this day, she is
unwilling to settle for anything but No. 1. Her teammates and
coaches will agree that Milling is not only the leader on the team,
but the go-to player of the UCLA squad. The Bruins irrefutably
depend on her incredible jumping ability and kill accuracy to win
games.
"Kara (Milling) has remarkable talent," UCLA head coach Andy
Banachowski said. "Other players on the team look to her to see how
to act on the court. We try to go to Kara most of the time because
of her strength and accuracy in hitting the ball. She works very
hard in practice and it shows in her playing. Her devotion to
volleyball has made her one of the best, and this (confident)
attitude enabled her to play on the national team last summer
(1997)."
Her attitude that lacks an "attitude" draws attention to her.
Many who know Milling know her to be a natural leader, never giving
up and always hustling to the ball. Her cheerful disposition and
upstanding posture hints her certitude and shows why she can handle
the pressure of team captain.
"I don’t feel the pressure in a bad way, I like it; there’s a
lot of pressure being the team captain, but I like being the go-to
person and the one trying to get our team together. A lot of times
it’s hard, but I’d rather be doing that than being a follower,"
Milling replied, whose 429 total kills in 74 games surpasses all
UCLA players by 127 kills and leads nationally above Stanford’s
Kristin Folkl by four, while ranking third nationally in service
aces with 26.
"I like this (team captain) role better. In my younger years I
was one of the followers, but I like this role much better."
Constantly talking – asking for the ball, demanding the pass,
grunting on her serve – Milling’s vocal leadership compels
observers to take notice. One may be slightly shocked at some of
her squealing yelps, but those familiar with the ardent athlete in
Milling are not surprised at all when it comes to her vocal
leadership.
"(Milling) leads vocally and by example," Banachowski replied.
"Her voice allows for communication on plays, signaling players to
recognize the difference when changing up the pass sequence."
Yet, Milling’s persona on the volleyball court disappears when
she talks of her volleyball achievements and future, as her
soft-spoken voice reveals her modest and compassionate self. In her
free time, Milling enjoys hanging out with friends. However, she
has little "chill" time, as Milling is preparing her team for a
shot at a bid to this year’s NCAA playoffs.
"I was asked to go play with the national team in January
(1998), but I wanted to finish up school first, which is until
June," Milling said. "Then, if they still want me, I’ll go to the
national team in the summer, but in the winter and spring, I’ll
most likely play beach volleyball and see how comfortable I feel
with that – I mean, you can never tell what is going to
happen."
Hesitatingly, Milling related her option to go play overseas,
but she was wary of doing that because she was under the impression
that playing for a team in another country would be unstable, since
coaches can choose to cut players from their respective teams even
after the player has signed a contract.
But for now, she will have to see what happens. Perhaps a career
in volleyball is not her only future career option, but coming from
an athletically talented family that boasts her oldest brother,
Chad, who played volleyball for UC Irvine, her other brother, Kyle,
who played basketball for the University of Oregon, and Jack Sikma,
a former NBA star for the Seattle Supersonics and the Milwaukee
Bucks, it is not impossible.
"I’m thinking about maybe going into athletic administration;
then, if I change my mind, I’ll probably be a teacher, but I’ll
always be involved in something in sports in some way," Milling
concluded.
Now, Milling’s eyes are far off, trying to envision her future,
which could be anything from playing indoors to the beach, or maybe
teaching in a classroom, but one thing is clear: nothing is going
to get in her way in pursuit of fulfilling her goals, and for now,
that is to bring her team together.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin
Senior outside hitter Kara Milling gets ready to make one of her
deadly spikes at the ball.
JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/ Daily Bruin
Team captain Kara Milling ranks as No. 1 volleyball player in
the nation and second in the Pac-10.