Milla Smith: Australia’s top youth beach volleyball player
Wesley College Year 12 student Milla is now ranked number 1 in Australia in U19 Beach Volleyball.
In her short time playing beach volleyball, Milla has achieved a lot! She won first place in the U18 Beach Volleyball Nationals in 2022 and was voted MVP in her team. Then in February, she won first place in the U19 Beach Volleyball National Tour, making her the number 1 ranked player in Australia for her age group. Not bad for someone who only just joined the sport!
Milla has been playing the indoor variety of volleyball since she was 11 and last year, placed second in the U18 Nationals for indoor. She was also part of Wesley’s premiership-winning Volleyball Firsts Girls team, alongside her two sisters Cat and Ruby.
‘My favourite part about playing beach volleyball would be how much the game can vary and change,’ Milla says. ‘There are two people on a big court, and as a defender, I can run different set ups and plays with my blocker depending on our opponent. I love that we can take our game into our own hands. We are always learning new things and changing the way we play to suit the needs of that particular game.’
She’s a keen defender and known for her consistency and unmatched work ethic – as well as her bubbly and friendly nature.
Kelly Lean, Head Coach of Wesley Volleyball and former Captain of the Australian team, says, ‘Milla’s perseverance and determination to get better means that she always does the small things really well. It’s made her a strong and consistent player and her bubbly and friendly personality makes her a pleasure to be around.’
The past several years had been building towards the Premiership win for the Wesley Girls team. ‘The players have been working hard with their coach, Pete Rivett, who has built a wonderfully supportive culture. This has enabled players like Milla to flourish, providing a really strong level of competition within the team that gives other players something to strive for,’ said Kelly. ‘You can have great individual players, and that brings a lot to our side of the court, but it takes a team to win a premiership and every one of our athletes contributed to that win.’
‘Last season was my first season here and we won the premiership which was so awesome. I hope we can do it again this season,’ Milla says. ‘We have great coaches, a wonderful program and a truly great group of girls.’
While Milla embraces all the opportunities she has within both beach and indoor volleyball, it can be ‘challenging’ to balance training, gym and tournaments with the academic demands of her final year at Wesley. She’s grateful for the support of her family and teachers as she manages her studies and continues to explore pathways towards a professional career in volleyball. ‘My teachers and staff at the school have been so supportive. I wouldn’t have been able to keep a balance between my studies and training without them.’
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