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Though she swears there was no pressure for her to obtain an athletic scholarship, Abbie Miraldi admits that it's become somewhat of a family tradition.
And when she decided to accept an offer to play volleyball for Division I California State University, Fullerton, Abbie became the fifth member of her immediate family to earn the opportunity of taking her game to the next level.
“Obviously, it's really satisfying because I've worked really hard for it,” said Abbie Miraldi, who will enter her senior season at Nevada Union this fall. “But I didn't feel any pressure with my family. If one of us didn't play sports, it would be OK. It's just that since a young age, I've been so competitive with my brother and my sister.
“It's just like a natural love for our family. We just seem to pick it up easily and all of us get into it.”
Getting into the game hasn't been a problem for her family. Her father, Dean, was an offensive lineman at the University of Utah before embarking on an NFL career that included stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Raiders.
April, her mom, played volleyball at Pepperdine University before later transferring to take the court for the UCLA Bruins.
Big brother Matt, who played baseball at Bear River High School, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays but has elected to stay in school to play his senior season at CSU, Los Angeles next year.
And Kylie Miraldi, a former three-year starter for NU's volleyball program, is entering her sophomore season as a member of the San Jose State Spartans.
Abbie, an outside hitter last season, led the Miners with 71 kills as Nevada Union secured a Sac-Joaquin Section record seventh straight Division I section championship.
She said she and her fellow Lady Miners, who will once again led by coaches Bob Rogers and Larry Peterson this fall, are looking for eight straight.
“Yeah, definitely, especially with Bob and Larry coming back to coach and with all the young talent we have,” Abbie said. “Obviously we're all shooting for the same goal and hopefully we can make that happen again.”
She spent a large amount of her summer as a member of the Sacramento-based Force 17-1 club team, which qualified for the Junior Olympics in Miami. But away from the volleyball court, she stepped up her training with CrossFit Sierra, building strength and stamina that, she said, helped her at the Junior Olympics.
In addition to CSU Fullerton, Miraldi also drew scholarship offers from UC Riverside, the University of Montana and UC San Diego.
“It wasn't something that had to be done, but there's a lot of pressure in the volleyball world, if you're wanting to play Division I, to get committed before your senior year,” she said. “It wasn't because I wanted to sign before my senior year. I just felt like
Fullerton was the right school for me. But it's definitely a bonus to have made the decision.”
To contact Sports Editor Brian Hamilton, e-mail bhamilton@theunion.com or call 477-4240.
And when she decided to accept an offer to play volleyball for Division I California State University, Fullerton, Abbie became the fifth member of her immediate family to earn the opportunity of taking her game to the next level.
“Obviously, it's really satisfying because I've worked really hard for it,” said Abbie Miraldi, who will enter her senior season at Nevada Union this fall. “But I didn't feel any pressure with my family. If one of us didn't play sports, it would be OK. It's just that since a young age, I've been so competitive with my brother and my sister.
“It's just like a natural love for our family. We just seem to pick it up easily and all of us get into it.”
Getting into the game hasn't been a problem for her family. Her father, Dean, was an offensive lineman at the University of Utah before embarking on an NFL career that included stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Raiders.
April, her mom, played volleyball at Pepperdine University before later transferring to take the court for the UCLA Bruins.
Big brother Matt, who played baseball at Bear River High School, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays but has elected to stay in school to play his senior season at CSU, Los Angeles next year.
And Kylie Miraldi, a former three-year starter for NU's volleyball program, is entering her sophomore season as a member of the San Jose State Spartans.
Abbie, an outside hitter last season, led the Miners with 71 kills as Nevada Union secured a Sac-Joaquin Section record seventh straight Division I section championship.
She said she and her fellow Lady Miners, who will once again led by coaches Bob Rogers and Larry Peterson this fall, are looking for eight straight.
“Yeah, definitely, especially with Bob and Larry coming back to coach and with all the young talent we have,” Abbie said. “Obviously we're all shooting for the same goal and hopefully we can make that happen again.”
She spent a large amount of her summer as a member of the Sacramento-based Force 17-1 club team, which qualified for the Junior Olympics in Miami. But away from the volleyball court, she stepped up her training with CrossFit Sierra, building strength and stamina that, she said, helped her at the Junior Olympics.
In addition to CSU Fullerton, Miraldi also drew scholarship offers from UC Riverside, the University of Montana and UC San Diego.
“It wasn't something that had to be done, but there's a lot of pressure in the volleyball world, if you're wanting to play Division I, to get committed before your senior year,” she said. “It wasn't because I wanted to sign before my senior year. I just felt like
Fullerton was the right school for me. But it's definitely a bonus to have made the decision.”
To contact Sports Editor Brian Hamilton, e-mail bhamilton@theunion.com or call 477-4240.
