As the new volleyball season has arrived, so have the new freshman athletes. Many have mostly come from Sawtooth and Heritage middle schools, which has helped them bond, meet, and build relationships with their new teammates. Many athletes are excited for this next step in their athletic career, to improve. One of these girls is Stella Oliver, a great student and multi-sport athlete. Stella is a volleyball player and runs track.
When she was younger, she played soccer for around 8 years, as a forward. She also spent a lot of time doing gymnastics. She has always enjoyed being active outdoors. She enjoys running as she thinks it’s therapeutic. She ran track for Heritage Middle and is planning to run track for Rocky Mountain in the spring. Over the years, her dad inspired her most to stay active. “My dad really inspired me to keep working out and getting in shape because he always was,” Stella explained. She looks up to her dad plenty. One of her biggest priorities is staying close with her family, including her brother.
As a seventh grader at Heritage Middle School, Stella had an opportunity open for her because she was able to try out for volleyball. Stella loved soccer but she had decided to move on. She had to learn new skills considering soccer and volleyball are nearly opposite sports. Although some of her teammates had been playing for years. Stella mentioned, “I was very behind, and I wish I started earlier,” however, Stella pulled through and learned that she preferred volleyball over soccer. She grew close with her teammates fast, creating a rememberable first season.
Once the school season ended, she tried out for club. She landed a spot on Club Idaho’s regional team, with one of her best friends, Madi Walker. Being with Madi helped Stella grow more comfortable with her new experiences during club. Stella said, “It grew our friendship a lot, being able to spend practices and tournaments every day together.” Her second year of club she was also on regional team. She claims club didn’t improve her skill very much over the seasons, but she’s “been able to meet a ton of new people and great coaches.” Stella also enjoys club volleyball because she plays much more teams than she does in school, and she has multiple traveling opportunities over the season. She’s traveled to Idaho Falls and Twin Falls for tournaments.
Stella’s first high school volleyball season has started up. Tryouts were in august. Stella felt comfortable and welcomed by the coaches. After, she was told she was placed on the freshman team. She plays middle and is #6. Middle school and high school competitions way different, “High school makes everything feel more intense and I love the energy our school has,” Stella added. The school pride has helped Stella overcome her new challenges. Although the season has just started, she’s improved with the help of her new coaches. Coaches include Charity Biehl, Andrew Jordan, and Hannah Low. Meeting her new teammates and bonding with them has been a great experience, as they are encouraging and great people. She’s excited to celebrate her new wins and show her grizzly pride throughout this season.
In the future, Stella plans to continue her volleyball career throughout highschool, and once she graduates, she wants to attend college somewhere in California, but if that doesn’t work out, she’s planning on going to New York University. Wherever she goes, she hopes to play volleyball and possibly play professionally one day. Stella wants to major in elementary education, and once she has her teaching certificate and bachelor’s degree, she hopes to teach elementary students. As a part time job, Stella would love to coach volleyball and help other young girls grow and find a passion for the sport. She wants to have a big family, and she would really appreciate it if one of her kids decide to play volleyball eventually. Stella has bright plans for her future.
Overall, Stella is a determined and great team player. She’s had an interesting journey so far and she’s eager to continue. Stella is one of our many great players. More players deserve recognition for their journey and work that brought them to where they are.
