Successful Soquel Girls Volleyball Program Has New Leadership
By Michael Oppenheimer
Melissa Stoll and Helen Milne have had plenty of time learning how to work together, so when the opportunity at Soquel High School for the varsity girls volleyball coach came Stoll’s way, it was only natural for her friend to join her.
“I’d been coaching 14-year-olds at Main Street Volleyball Club the last three years,” Stoll said. “I was ready to up my game — coach an older team with a higher skill level … take that jump that next level.”
Milne, who was coaching another spring club team with Main Street, was an obvious choice for Stoll to ask to come along for the ride.
“Melissa told me about the opportunity she had here, and at the time a few of the girls on my club team were going to be playing for Soquel,” Milne said. “It’s so rewarding as a coach to see your players grow, and I was just really excited to have that opportunity.”
Stoll and Milne both come from athletically-gifted families and practically grew up on the volleyball court.
“My sister played D-1 water polo while my dad is a champion fencer,” Milne said, adding that she would be in Germany this week to watch her father, William, defend his world title.
Stoll gets her interest in teaching from her mom and her interest in athletics from her dad.
“Mom is very artistic: teaches, photography, that sort of thing,” she said. “My dad is really athletic. He was drafted to the Dodgers when he was in college, but I’m a Giants fan, so I don’t know a lot about that.”
Stoll’s sister spends her energy as a white-water kayaker. “She’s an amazing athlete.”
Both women attached themselves to volleyball early in their teens.
Stoll, growing up around the Tahoe area, found ways to play volleyball year round while also tackling track and tennis in high school.
Milne played club and high-school volleyball in Redwood City from the age of 13.
They both arrived at UCSC in 2008, finally meet in 2009, both donning their Banana Slug jerseys on the UCSC volleyball team.
“We just clicked,” Stoll said. “We’ve been friends ever since.”
Both still think of themselves as students after graduating from UCSC in 2012, and while Milne, with a BA in History, is currently taking pre-requisite classes at Cabrillo for a degree in the field of diabetes medicine, Stoll is delaying her continued education.
“I finished at UCSC with a degree in literature, but I quickly realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Stoll said. “I will be going back to school for a degree in athletic training and kinesiology (sports medicine).”
Both admit one of the reasons they’re still here is the county itself.
“We really love Santa Cruz,” Milne said. “The longer we’re here, the more we want to stay.”
Stoll and Milne are taking over a strong Knights volleyball team, one that has been in the top two in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League the last three seasons, including SCCAL titles in 2010-11 and CCS in 2011.
“We have seven seniors on our team and our juniors and sophomores are very talented,” Stoll said. “We’re going to be right up there at the top again this year.”
With a 2-1 record in league play at the time this article went to press, the Knights seem to be on the right foot, and Stoll knows they’re in the right place.
“I was really excited to come here,” she said. “This is a really great program. The AD and support system has been great so far. This whole thing has been a really positive experience and I can’t wait to see it continue.”