In her first high school volleyball game four years ago as a freshman, Myleigh Smell rotated in off the bench and helped Bridgeport rally for a victory thanks to her performance at the service line.
 
She may not have started much in 2021, but she showed signs of a promising career ahead of her.
 
From freshman to sophomore year, Smell made a huge jump and became a Class AAA second-team all-stater. In her junior season, Smell's all-around skill set continued to grow and she became a first-team all-stater and a state player of the year finalist.
 
As a junior, Smell also added leadership to the equation as she quickly emerged as the team's leader on and off the court.
IN 2024, she added one final piece of the puzzle – purpose.
 
From the first day they got together for a flex period practice in July, Smell and her teammates were locked in on one specific mission – winning the Class AAA state championship.
 
That mission was accomplished two weeks ago, defeating Herbert Hoover in the title match to wrap up a 52-8-2 season that saw the Indians navigate their way through arguably the toughest schedule in the state to secure the school's second-ever volleyball state championship (they previously won the Class AA title in 2018).
 
Although the Indians received significant contributions from every player in this year's rotation, Smell was the one that stood the tallest and today she has been named the 2024 State Volleyball Player of Year by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.


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