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Willis' Mylee Williams
BLEEDING PURPLE: Williams has become fully immersed in the Willis ISD culture
Cheer captain Mylee Williams cheers for her school-mates on the sidelines, but also stars for the Wildcat volleyball team in the fall.
“Honestly, juggling those two parts of my life as a student-athlete can be difficult,” she said. “I go into each practice ready to work and focus on that specific skill. It’s hard sometimes when managing school too, but I’m committed to devoting the time to both teams because that’s what they deserve.”
Although the senior transferred to Willis ISD from College Station just four years ago, she wasted little time in recognizing what stepping through the school’s doors meant to her.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“Being a Wildkat has been the best thing for me,” Williams said. “In my experience, I’ve seen how everyone comes together as a community, which you might see in other places, but it’s different at Willis. Everyone bleeds purple and it’s been amazing to grow up in the short time I’ve lived here.”
The same could be said for the moments she’s spent in both fields of play.
“I would just say learning about each girl and developing bonds with everyone has really helped me to improve myself in a lot of ways,” said Williams. “I feel like I’ve grown to understand how to interact with different kinds of people, which is something you definitely need, especially as a leader.”
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Now that Williams is approaching the final stretch of her high school career, she already has a plan locked in for what her foreseeable future might look like.
“Ideally, I’d want to go to college with a scholarship for both sports,” she said. “When it comes to my career path, education is something that I’ve really been looking into. Coaching would be fun, as well. I think that being a cheer coach would be more my style since I’m a little more familiar with that area.”
If the choices she’s made up to this point are any indication, the outlook should remain bright for Williams throughout the remainder of her formative years.
Willis' Tori Greeney
THE TEAM-PLAYER: Chemistry is key for Willis' Greeney
“I’ve played multiple sports throughout my life before I got into volleyball,” she said. “I played soccer, I was in cheer and for about 10 years I was a competitive swimmer. That was mainly because of my Dad, since he was a swim coach.
“I finally tried volleyball and found my love for the sport because it relies on a team-aspect. I really enjoy that competitiveness and being able to rely on the bond with my teammates.”
Not only did she discover her love for the game, but quite the skill-set for it as well, evidenced by the impressive stat-line (250 kills, 265 digs, 427 receptions, 22 blocks) she put up a year ago that led to second-team, all-district honors.
However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
“I’ve been on varsity since my freshman year, but it was very intimidating,” said Greeney. “It was really hard to get to know the girls at first, but they’ve been so welcoming. Developing a relationship with all of them came with a lot of support, which I’ve tried to do as I’ve gotten older. From my position, you really have to progress in that leadership role, when starting off that young on a team like this.”
It didn’t take long for Greeney to make connections on the Willis squad, which naturally features some fond memories.
“The most memorable moment that I’ve experienced in this program so far - and I’m sure some of the other returners share it -was when we went to Austin last year for a tournament,” she said. “We had a cooking competition, which was just so fun because we were working together, on the clock. Of course, it got really competitive since we were on teams, but that’s part of what made it fun.”
Despite contending in what could easily be considered the state’s most talented district, Willis has the talent to cause some upsets in the coming months.
That would be the perfect way for one of their star outside hitters to garner some well-deserved attention.
“The goal is to compete at a very high level in college someday,” Greeney said. “I want to hopefully go to a Division I school. I have some offers from some D2 schools as of right now, but I’m trying to eventually get that greater opportunity down the line.”
When she’s not hanging out with friends, swimming at her family’s lake house or partaking in her guilty pleasure of Grey’s Anatomy this fall, Greeney and the Wildkats should anticipate a resurgence under the direction of first-year head coach Kayla Jenkins.
Stay tuned.