Spoon River College student-athlete Cassidy (Locke) Miller has been named to the Region 24 All-Region 2nd Team for volleyball. A graduate of Canton High School, she is in her final year at Spoon River College.
While playing at Spoon River College, Miller has amassed impressive stat lines. Ranked number one in solo blocks across all Division II NJCAA schools, Miller contributed 154 kills in the fall 2021 campaign. Her career numbers stand at 245 solo blocks, 278 total blocks, and 489 kills.
SRC volleyball coach Makenna Barker says the sophomore team captain is also one of the biggest leaders on the court. “During pre-season training, Cassidy was a constant cheerleader and helped push her teammates to finish some brutal work outs. I can count on her to pick up her teammates no matter what. I’ve seen her do it during games, during practices, and during conditioning. She doesn’t know how to give less than 110%.”
Besides being a dedicated athlete willing to put in the hard work, Miller is also enrolled in the college’s nursing program. “Cassidy is one of the most dedicated athletes I have ever coached. She has one of the highest work ethics that I have ever seen,” said Barker. “The nursing program is an incredibly difficult program for any student, and even more so for a full-time collegiate athlete. It takes extra diligence and perseverance.” On top of all of that, Miller also spent extra hours working with her personal trainer, Randy Davis, to increase her vertical, stamina, and core strength.
Barker said Miller has been known to recruit her teammates for help with studying. “Cassidy had to memorize a whole amalgam of different things when studying for her Head to Toe oral exam. Her teammates were the test subjects, and we all helped her remember the correct wording and made sure she was going in the correct order. It was cool to see the whole team surround her and help her through.”
The college’s volleyball had a record of 15-18 on the year and earned a #6 seed in the District tournament. The Snappers put together their best season since the program’s beginning in 2019, but saw the 2021 season come to an end in a loss to Heartland Community College, who went on to win the District Championship and eventually the 7th place title at the National Tournament.
“Building this program is only possible because of athletes like Cassidy,” said Barker. “We have been fortunate to have a couple of players honored with All-Region awards throughout these last three years. We are headed in the right direction and are always pushing to better the program. First in and last out athletes, like Cassidy, are the athletes that we are going to build this program around. I am so happy that Cassidy chose to continue her academic and athletic careers at Spoon River College. She is going to be greatly missed on and off the court.”
