MILLER – No matter where she is located on the volleyball court, Jolie Palmer always supplies whatever her team needs.
The Miller senior has been the catalyst for one of the state’s premier Class A teams for the past four seasons. The four-year starter is a two-time first team all-state selection and the Rustlers have gone 100-17 with her on the floor during her time on the varsity.
“She is extremely athletic and has a high volleyball IQ,” said Miller coach Linda DeBoer. “She reads hitters so well making her relentless pursuit of the ball frustrating to teams as she keeps the ball up off the floor.”
Palmer made an instant impact for the Rustlers as a freshman and nothing has slowed her down since. She recalled playing in her initial state tournament.
“It was nerve wrecking to say the least. I honestly probably did not play up to my full potential, because I was so nervous, but I learned a lot from that,” Palmer said. “The lights are so bright, not just literally, but metaphorically. There’s so many people; it’s so loud. The ball moves so much different in such a vast area that I wasn’t really used to.”
While Palmer has been a key contributor from the time she has stepped on the court, she has taken on more of leadership role and is a captain on this year’s squad.
“It means a huge deal, because that means that my teammates think about me the way I want to represented,” Palmer said, “but at the end of the day I’m going to be the same player if I’m the captain or not.”
The fact that Palmer has never missed a state tourney during her varsity career is not lost on the Libero. She understands it’s not a given and appreciates being a part of a program with a rich history in the sport.
“I kind of have to remind myself that not every team gets this liberty of playing at such a high level and playing with the best teams in the state,” Palmer said.
Palmer, who is on pace for a school-record 2,000 career digs, was able to grow up around a stellar program and is now leaving her mark on it.
“We have had a successful program I feel like, from the beginning of time, since I’ve been a little girl,” Palmer said, crediting DeBoer, one of the state’s all-time winningest coaches. “She’s built such a legacy. We just want to show up for each other and we want to show up for our community, and for ourselves, mostly.”
Along the way, DeBoer has watched Palmer transform from a freshman loaded with potential to a senior who sets the tone both in matches and in practices.
“She works extremely hard in practice and loves the game,” DeBoer said. “What you see in matches is what I have a front row seat to every day: quickness, great reads, consistency, desire to better each ball, and passion.”
To be sure, Palmer has been surrounded by talented teammates who provide challenges for any opposing defense. However, there still needs to be a focal point on the floor and it all starts with Palmer.
“My hitters in the front, I know some of them are more strengthened in out of system hitting, so that definitely does play a role,” Palmer said. “In really quick situations, when it’s kind of chaotic on the court, I definitely sometimes just throw it up to a pin. I know all my teammates can hit a 5 x 5 ball. Definitely sometimes go to the hot hitter.”
As skilled as Palmer is, she noted there is an element to the sport that involves more than just passing, setting or hitting the ball.
“Like coach DeBoer says, it’s mostly 90 percent mental,” Palmer said. “We obviously know that we’re physically capable. We’ve been playing with each other forever. Your mind can mess you up so much. We experience it all the time. I know sometimes even I get in my head.”
Those times are rare, however, as Palmer’s head is usually filled with solid perspective no matter how big the stage or what is at stake.
“You really have to find it within yourself to calm down, take a breath, and realize that it’s still a volleyball game,” Palmer said.
Palmer has played in many memorable matches through the years, but there are two in particular that stand out for her.
“My freshman year our first game against Platte in the state tournament, we reversed sweep,” Palmer said. “It was insane. I think it was our first five-set match of the year, so my first five-setter. It was awesome.”
The other occured just last week when the Rustlers defeated perennial Class B power Warner.
“We beat Warner this year in five sets, which is no slight victory, I feel like,” Palmer said. “We’ve had a huge rivalry against them, not only my whole career, but the whole program’s career. Not many teams beat Warner, so I think that was a huge deal for us.”
Of course, Palmer would undoubtedly love to finish her career by getting to another state tournament. However, she is not obsessed with that thought, instead choosing to focus on the present.
“I think one our biggest goals right now is to just be in the moment,” she said, “just play every game, and being with each other and savor every second that we have together.”
If the Rustlers are to make another state tournament run, it’s safe to say that Palmer will be right in the middle of it, just like she has been since she joined the varsity.
“She has been a crucial piece of our team’s past success and continues to be,” DeBoer said, “currently the team’s leader on defense and serve receptions.”
Palmer knows that her time with the Miller volleyball program will be coming to an end this fall, but she has not allowed herself to get overwhelmed with emotion.
“Our feelings only have as much power as we give them,” Palmer said.
In fact, Palmer said her senior season hasn’t felt much differently than her other years on the varsity.
“It doesn’t really feel that different,” Palmer said, “because at the end of the day, I’m playing volleyball with the people that I love, playing the game that I love.”
