The Sam Houston State women's volleyball team will head to the Southland Conference Tournament this Friday, and for setter Michelle Miller, the Bearkat's chances to advance to the NCAA Tournament will be in her hands.

The freshman didn't come to Sam with intentions of taking lead of a NCAA Division I team her first season, nor did she plan on starting at setter as a freshman. But both of those dreams became a reality when starting setter junior Kym Loving went down during the Houston match in September.

Head coach Brenda Gray, believes Miller really grew as a leader on the team as the season progressed.

"It's hard to start at the collegiate level coming straight out of high school, but Michelle has shown qualities of a leader on this team," Gray said.

Miller leads Sam Houston volleyball in assists with 1,009, which is second in the Southland Conference and has made a name for herself at the collegiate level stepping up as a freshman setter.

"I can't say enough great things about Michelle. She came in and started competitively running the side of the court. She is very steady, she is very consistent, and she is very level headed," Gray said. "It's very hard to come in as a freshman to a Division I team because the pace of the game and power of the game is that much faster, but Michelle has an amazing opportunity to be a leader and run this floor for a long time."

For Miller though, starting has been an opportunity that she didn't see happening, but says she has been embraced by the team and coaching staff to help her adjust quickly.

"It's been a lot of fun starting as a freshman, and the transition wasn't too bad because I have played club volleyball in high school," Miller said. "Fortunately, age hasn't been a huge factor. I mostly am focused on stats and each game that we have to play."

For Miller though, her main focus right now is to beat No. 1 seed Texas State in the conference finals.

"I really just want to beat Texas State and do well in the tournament and come in with the same mentality next season, live up to what we accomplished as a team, and what I did personally," Miller said.

Though it has been a major adjustment, Miller has transitioned well into collegiate volleyball, and will continue to grow over the next four years.

The team will be in San Antonio Friday for the Southland Conference Tournament where they will match up against Nichols in the first round. If they make the championship, the title game will be televised by the Southland Television Network on Sunday at 2 p.m.