Mary Miller, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, has helped the Charger Volleyball Program break onto the national scene. Miller came to Briar Cliff in 1996 and in 12 seasons, has compiled a 280-174 mark. Her 2007 squad produced an 22-11 record and reached the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) playoffs for the fifth-straight year, hosting for the second straight.
Miller began her coaching career at Wakefield Community School in 1981, directing the team to a state tournament appearance in 1984. From 1985-92, she was the head volleyball coach at Hartington Cedar Catholic High School. Her teams compiled a 133-14 record, competed in three state tournaments and won the Nebraska Class C-1 State Championship in 1989.
Miller was cited by USA Today as a 1989 Coaches Division Achiever of the Year. In 1992, she left Hartington Cedar Catholic to become the head volleyball coach at Sioux City Heelan High School. Through 1994, her Crusader teams posted a 52-25-2 mark. She led them to a No. 1 ranking and a state tournament berth in 1994. She was also named CYO Coach of the Year.
Miller, then Schroeder, was a four-sport athlete at Briar Cliff, competing in basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball. The 1981 graduate was a four-time first team All-Conference volleyball selection and a two-time All-Conference basketball selection at the Cliff. During her playing career with the Charger volleyball squad, she led them to four conference titles, a 57-3 record and two state championships. In 1979, they competed in the AIAW national tournament in Los Angeles. She earned team MVP honors as a sophomore and a senior and was named best offensive player in each of her first three seasons. In basketball, she was a two-time team MVP and ranks third on the Briar Cliff career rebounding chart.
Miller is a member of both the Dubuque Wahlert Volleyball Hall of Fame and the Briar Cliff Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2007, she was inducted into the Iowa High School Volleyball Hall of Fame for her exploits at Dubuque Wahlert. Mary and her husband, Scott, have one daughter, Logan.
