Millin commits to Queen’s
Sir Winston Churchill volleyball coach Brent Mergl spotted the greatness in Kennedy Millin years ago.
“I remember her in Grade 7 and my daughter (Jenna) was the same age. We went to the club tryouts and I could see she was going to be good,” Mergl said. “She was strong and athletic.”
Fast forward and the 17-year-old, Grade 12 student is in her final year at Sir Winston and has already committed to Queen’s University, where she will major in concurrent education.
Millin said the choice came down to Queen’s and McMaster.
“I went on some campus visits and I talked to the coaches and a lot of the girls,” she said. “It’s a really good volleyball school so that made it an easy choice.”
Millin also considered the University of Windsor where her older sister, Rayia, is also a volleyball player in her second year.
“I did (consider Windsor) but then Queen’s just had my eye and I chose that,” she said.
Millin is an all-around athlete who has participated in a wide a variety of sports — lacrosse, soccer, basketball, track and rowing — but ultimately chose volleyball.
“Honestly, I grew up with my dad playing a lot of sports and I’ve always been hard on myself and a high-performance athlete,” she said. “It was good because the basketball (Welland Warriors) was good and because I was pushed to the max. It was all mental and physical.”
Millin’s volleyball resume is impressive and includes being a member of the 2021 Team Ontario Elite and recognized as top-24 overall athlete in Ontario. She currently plays club volleyball at Mountain Volleyball Club in Hamilton.
Mergl feels Millin won’t have any problems transitioning to the next level.
“I think it’s going to become a seamless transition for her,” he said. “We were lucky enough to have Jenna Pollock here and she’s down at Boston College and Kennedy is right there.
“She’s a huge asset for Queen’s. They’re getting a special player, not only a great volleyball player, but a great person as well.”
Mergl will miss Millin.
“It’s been a blessing having her, a lefty setter. You just don’t see those often. It’s a like a unicorn,” he said. “Each year she’s improved. She works extremely hard and where she is now, I knew that. She just had that in her.
“I’m happy she’s developed into hitter as well, not just a setter.”
The Bulldogs swept the Laura Secord Patriots 25-5, 25-6, 25-12 in senior girls action Tuesday at Sir Winston to improve to 3-0 in Niagara Regional High School Athletics regular season play.
Play resumed this week after another COVID lockdown shut down high school sports earlier this year.
“It’s so exiting we can come together now and play,” Millin said. “We’ve been playing a lot and practising every day so it’s good to have these games.”
With SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Asssociation) and OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) off the table this year, Mergl is at happy to at least see the girls in action again.
“I feel bad for the Grade 12 girls who are graduating because we had high hopes as OFSAA. We had our sights set there. We have the talent, it’s there. We’re set but when they pulled the plug on that, it was kind of a letdown and very disappointing but at least this is something.”
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