GREAT FALLS — It’s summertime which means a handful of high school student-athletes are getting ready to compete in college. For the reining Montana Gatorade player of the year, Great Falls CMR’s Tennisen Hiller is getting ready for Division I volleyball as a member of the Montana Grizzlies.
“It’ll be exciting to see how I mesh with the team,” Hiller said. “I want to do my part and make Griz volleyball that much so yeah hopefully I can help them out.”
Hiller offered plenty of help as one of the team’s leaders at setter which allowed the Rustlers to go undefeated, concluding in a state championship this past fall. Winning it all with her father and head coach, Patrick Hiller, was special with it being his first state championship in 28 years as a head coach.
“We just talked about it not even a few nights ago that idea that you watch movies all the time and think that’d be pretty cool but it doesn’t happen and then something happens like that and you can understand where the movies come from especially for our family,” coach Hiller said.
While Patrick Hiller got to finally capture a state title after 28 years of coaching, Tennisen earned herself a coveted spot on the Griz roster through a twist of fate with Montana head coach, Allison Lawrence.
Hiller will return to her hometown of Missoula where there is a level of comfort but also a new challenge of having to work and earn her spot on the floor.
“I’m really excited to see how I can push myself and contribute to the team because I know it’s different in college,” Hiller said. “You put a bunch of random girls together in high school and make a team but it’s hand picked in college.”
For coach Hiller, he’s happy she gets her chance to prove herself without dad there.
“I think it’s going to be fun for her,” Coach Hiller said smiling. “For the first time in her life she’s going to walk in the gym and really have to prove herself without her dad there.”
