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The University of Mississippi Athletics
MEET THE REBELS: Middle Blocker Miranda Kitts
8/6/2010 | Volleyball
Aug. 6, 2010
Miranda Kitts enters the 2010 season as one of two seniors on the Ole Miss volleyball team. The 6'1 middle blocker from Peyton, Colo., comes into the season with lofty goals in her final year after being one of the top blockers on the team a year ago with 89 blocks and a team-leading 20 solo blocks.
Kitts took the time recently to sit down and talk about her time as an athlete at Ole Miss and a little bit about her life off the court when not involved with volleyball.
Q: How did you get involved in volleyball as your sport of choice?
MK: Well, I don't like running, so that pretty much eliminated everything else. Basketball was out because I don't like to run and am not exactly the stoutest individual. If you don't like running, then there goes tennis and soccer and track. Softball was out because of running the bases. So that pretty much left volleyball, and it's a good thing I'm tall.
Q: You're from Peyton, Colorado. Is volleyball a sport that is big in Colorado?
MK: Not really. We're lucky enough to have a few good club programs and that's probably because of the colleges in the area around Peyton. But it's not a sport that is big like you would see in some other areas of the country. I'd say that it's similar to Mississippi as far as how much people really know about the sport as a whole, but maybe a little better. But there are other sports in both states that are much more popular. But some of the college camps and clubs in the area help the interest level.
Q: So do you want to coach?
MK: I am not sure. I know that one of the things I've enjoyed most about my time here at Ole Miss is working the camps we host. It's been really amazing to work with the kids who come to the camps every summer and really watch the level of competition grow in the state here in Mississippi. You see some of the same kids come back year after year and it's amazing how much better they get each year. It's also cool to see the younger kids come in and be better each year as the sport starts to grow. I like working with some of the older kids, but it's a different experience because they throw you out there with them on the court and they are closer to your age. But it's so much fun to work with the younger campers and see them grow and learn.
Q: Is there one thing you've learned from playing volleyball or sports that you will take with you in life, or that has helped you off the court?
MK: Honestly, sports and volleyball are the reason I'm where I am now and have anything I have in life. If it weren't for sports I don't really think I'd be here finishing up a business degree in my senior year of college. Everything that I've been able to do in life is because of sports.
Q: So you are majoring in business. What is it you want to do after you graduate?
MK: Well, I'm not sure. I don't know what I'm going to do with a business major. It's kind of funny. I'm a business major because when I first got here, our academic counselor told me that was a tough major when it came to demands on your time and that it would be difficult with the demands placed on my time as an athlete. That settled it. I had to ask Coach Getzin for permission, but I was going to be a business major because I don't like being told I can't do something or being told no. I'm kind of a brat like that.
Q: You're a middle blocker. Exactly what does that mean? What is it you do and what's your role on the team?
MK: We do everything. *laughs* No, seriously. We probably irritate a lot of the other girls on the team because we joke that we have to be involved with everything and they can just focus on one or two things. But it's kind of true. We have to be involved in the offense and the defense and be able to read and react and be involved in almost every single aspect of every play. If we aren't doing our job right, then it becomes harder on everyone else to do their job. We call ourselves the workhorses and actually have a little song we sing about it. You'd have to get Regina Thomas to sing it for you, though, because it's kind of like a rap at first. But we have to be able to move from one side of the net to the other to close out the block, funnel the ball to the back line and immediately transition into offense and be ready to attack the ball. We really like to be the focus and feel like it's similar to football. In football, a lot of people think if you establish the ground game it opens up the passing game and makes it easier on the wide receivers. We want to do the same thing and make ourselves a scoring threat early to make it easier for the outside hitters to start pounding away at the ball and really open up the offense.
Q: How would you compare Colorado and Mississippi?
MK: Oh, there is no comparison. I love, love, love the people here in Mississippi. Everyone is just so nice and friendly and...well...Southern. There is no way to compare the people here with the people back in Colorado. I think I could stay here and be really happy. I do miss some things, though. I really like having four seasons in Colorado. Here, there don't seem to be four seasons as much. It always seems like it's two - hot and not as hot. I really like snow.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or a favorite movie?
MK: Well, the Twilight series. I've read the books and seen the movies. And you know, Emily Kvitle on the team said she's Team Jacob, but that's because she's never taken the time to read the books. She just looks at the actor who plays the part in the movies and says she's Team Jacob. But if she read the books, she'd see there is no way she could be anything but Team Edward. But I love stuff like Twilight, the Harry Potter series, the Lord of the Rings and all that stuff. Oh, and the Narnia series. They have a new movie coming out this Christmas.
Q: So do you have any hobbies outside of volleyball?
MK: Well, this will probably sound kind of dorky, but I have gotten into playing Halo. Ashley Veach and I will get together and play all the time when we can get away from volleyball. We don't have the headsets and stuff, but I'm a real competitive person and so we might have to get into that next. My boyfriend (former football player Reid Neely) likes to play those games too, but we have a rule that we can't play against each other. We're both so competitive it usually gets heated. First we couldn't play Sorry (the board game), then no Monopoly and now we can't play Halo. When we started he was beating me pretty bad, but now I'm close to beating him. Of course I just bought him a new game the other day - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - so that helps with us each having something else to do.
Q: So outside of video games and movies like that do you have anything you like to do?
MK: Well, like Emily Kvitle has said we do get together as a team and hang out. We tend to go to her house and she cooks and we eat her food. But we're a pretty close group and enjoy doing things together.
Q: Do you have a sport outside of volleyball that you enjoy going to watch?
MK: I'm not really a sports person. I know that sounds odd. I don't really think I would go to just watch sports on my own a lot if I didn't play sports. But I go watch the soccer team when I can and we go watch softball and a lot of us will go watch tennis and the women's basketball team. I don't really go to baseball and men's basketball and football as much as a lot of people because I'm just not really that into sports. It's not the first thing I think of to do. But, I know a lot of the other athletes and you look up when we're playing and between points you notice that the softball team and the soccer team and the women's basketball and tennis teams are at the Gillom Center and they are watching us play every match. It's hard not to have the desire to go watch them play and support them too. We worked out with the women's basketball team a lot and I got to see how hard they work and how much effort they put into things so I want to go cheer for them. We're also friends with them and that makes it easier to go support your friends. If we aren't willing support each other as athletes, why would someone else come support us?
Q: If you could have two minutes to step up to a podium and address the Ole Miss fan base, what would you say?
MK: Well, the most frustrating thing I run into a lot is people who don't understand that we are a legitimate sport. I have people look at me and say stuff like "We have a volleyball team? And you actually get a scholarship?" It's really frustrating when I hear that and know how hard we work and how much time we give up to compete for Ole Miss. So I would tell people that we're legit. We're for real. Take a chance one Friday night or Sunday afternoon and come watch us play. We have a very solid group of fans who come on a regular basis and they come because it's fun. You may not understand every single thing, but there is always action and something going on. It's fast paced and exciting. Come out and take that chance. It will pay off.
