Perryville, Mo. High School senior Morgan Mueller recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball next fall at John A. Logan College. Seated with Morgan are her parents, Richard and Kristen. Standing from left are: Perryville Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Jeff Steffens, Vols head coach Bill Burnside and Perryville volleyball coach Dave Mirly. (Photo courtesy Bill Cairns)

John A. Logan College volleyball coach Bill Burnside has added a defensive specialist to his roster for next fall. Morgan Mueller, a senior at Perryville High School in Perryville, Mo., signed a letter of intent late last month to play for the Volunteers.

“Morgan is an excellent addition to our team,” Burnside said. “She will provide a great deal of athleticism at the libero position for us. Since the position was created 10 years ago, it has become more and more apparent every year just how important is becoming in our sport. Teams with quality liberos have an advantage in ball control that positively affects all aspects of the game. I feel confident that Morgan will give us an advantage at this position.”

Burnside described Mueller as an athlete with “quick and explosive movement” and the hand/eye coordination to make very quick plays efficiently.

“These are abilities you cannot teach,” he said. “No amount of coaching can overcome deficiencies in these areas. With these basic ingredients in place, Morgan has the potential to become a dominant collegiate libero. And in addition to her athletic skills, she has the attitude and drive to be successful. This will be important as she attempts to transition her game from the high school to collegiate level. I feel confident Morgan will do the work to get herself to the next level.”

Mueller said she chose Logan over other schools because she felt it was “the right fit” after her campus visit where she met the team and coaches.

“I’m very excited about playing next season. Playing college volleyball is definitely a dream come true for me,” Mueller said. “I never would have thought that a small-town girl like me would get this far. And I am going to do everything within my power to make things work. I want to help keep Logan the successful program it is and improve my overall skills so that I can reach my goal of playing at a four-year school after graduating Logan.”