Courtesy of Sean D. Elliot
Camel of the Edition is a series which seeks to highlight extraordinary Connecticut College athletes who have stood out from the herd due to their recent performances or as a leader on campus or on their team.
Mila Chan ‘28 is an outside-hitting sensation on the women’s volleyball team. The first-year from San Francisco, CA, is the team’s leader in both kills and points, proving to be an offensive weapon, leading Conn to a strong 15-9 record on the season. Her level of offensive production has not been seen by a Camel since 2018 and led to the highest team kill total since that same season. Her first season in white and blue was an impressive one that places Chan in the spotlight as a possible future star for the Camels.
Josie Kelly ‘28 is a statistical anomaly at the setter position for Conn’s women’s volleyball roster. The first-year from Solana Beach, CA, led the team in assists, posting the most in a season for a Camel since 2015. Her first year’s 733 assists now puts her on pace to be top-three in program history for career assists. Her contributions proved integral to Conn’s success this season, and with more time building chemistry within the locker room, she looks to be a future team leader and court general.
Recently, The College Voice caught up with Chan and Kelly to hear about their transition from high school ball on the West Coast to collegiate volleyball on the East, how the future of Conn volleyball looks, and how they view their tandem on the court.
Could you please introduce yourself?
Mila Chan: My name is Mila Chan. I am a first year. I am undecided on my major, and I play outside hitter. As of right now, I just [play] volleyball.
Josie Kelly: I am Josie Kelly. I am a first-year. I am currently undecided, and I play setter. I am also involved in The Hidden Opponent Club.
Tell me about your sporting journey and when volleyball became your focus.
MC: I started playing volleyball when I was seven or eight. Before then, I played basketball, swimming, and gymnastics. My cousins played volleyball, and my uncle used to be a coach, so he would help me out if I had questions. It became my main sport almost immediately because I didn’t like the contact of a sport like basketball. I have been playing club and school [volleyball] since around eight or nine years old, so it’s been about ten years, and now I am here
JK: I started around the end of middle school, so I really got into it in high school. I played soccer when I was really little, but I got a knee injury that lasted six years, so I couldn’t play sports in between. That is what got me into volleyball! I honestly didn’t know much about it, but I fell in love. From there, I knew I wanted to play as long as I could.
What was your recruitment process like, and why did you end up deciding on Conn?
(In unison) Volleyball!
MC: I wanted to go to the East Coast regardless of if I played volleyball or not. I wanted to leave the West and get out.
JK: It was the same for me. You can always go back. You need to experience something else in life; the West will always be there.
What are your positions, and what about their responsibilities appeal to you?
MC: As an outside [hitter], you do pretty much everything except set. I pass, hit, block, and play all around the court. I like being a big contributor and helping out the team as much as I can. I like hitting [on the] left side, because it is easier for me, and playing back side, so I get the whole package when playing as an outside [hitter].
JK: As a setter, I am always supposed to get the second ball. Almost every play, I get a touch on the ball. I set myself up for my hitters, aka Mila. I really like getting to set my hitters up for success because my touch determines their success. I am [also] the commander of the court. I say plays and what needs to be said at times of excitement, or not. Overall, I carry positive energy to keep the team going.
How has the adjustment from high school to college been on and off the court?
MC: Sportswise, I went to a really small high school with only around four hundred people total, so we didn’t have a really strong team. We won our league, but we had an athletic class year that carried the school’s athletics [last year], so we had a pretty good team [for] that year. From high school to college, the level of play is higher, faster, and more intense. It is really fun, and I like the challenge that it gives me. It is more enjoyable now because you put more into it and get more out of it.
JK: For me, it was a lot different. I went to a bigger high school than here. It was almost four thousand. It was definitely an adjustment just being on a college campus instead of going home. I like that you get to work on your play every single day and you are immersed in it. I think, at points, it was hard, but you have this team that is like your family, and that is such a big aspect of lifting each other up and keeping each other going. I could not do an individual sport; the team is what keeps me going.
Did either of you have a “Welcome to college sports” moment?
MC: My high school team wasn’t that good, but my club team played around a similar level to this. From high school, it was a lot different, but from club, it wasn’t that much of an adjustment. I have played strong teams at the same level, if not stronger, in my club season, like once or twice a season. But it is just different because we are first-years. We are new to the team, and we have to get adjusted to everyone.
JK: The adjustment of being a first-year and taking a commanding role so early was my wake-up call. I think sometimes, as a first-year, you’re at the bottom of the totem pole, but you have to put yourself out there.
You guys are both leading the team in either assists or kills. How do you perform at such a high degree week in and week out?
MC: Nothing really goes through my head when I play because if I think about it, I might mess up. I don’t think. I just play.
JK: I just do it for my team. It is just for my team and their success. I don’t do it for me; I do it for them, and that’s what keeps me going and consistent, even when I don’t want to.
How is the chemistry between the both of you and how has it been instrumental on and off the court?
(In unison) It is pretty good!
MC: On the court, we are good. We can talk to each other openly and give feedback. There are no hard feelings if I say that she could have set the ball a little higher, or something like that. There is a lot of pressure on her as a first-year, starting, and always playing setter. She says she has to command the court, and being a first-year trying to fill the role of the graduated setter is a hard role to fill, and she is doing a great job with it. It could be a lot of pressure sometimes, especially from coach [Josh Edmed] because he wants the best from us and expects a lot. Obviously, the standard I set for myself is pretty high, and it is tough to do that alone.
JK: Shout out to Mila; she plays all the way around. I think she has done a really great job transitioning [to college]. I want her to tell me if it’s wrong. I love honesty. She always has my back, too. She is also from California, so it is a big switch, and we both get that we are across the country and [that] it is a different vibe and world. It is a lot. She has done a really good job coming out of her shell as a first year, which is hard to do.
How much of your success do you attribute to your team, coaching staff, friends, family, etc.?
MC: Definitely my family. The amount of money, time, support, effort, [and] gas they have put into it makes it so I couldn’t have gotten here without them. Obviously, my coaches and past teammates [as well]. A lot of my volleyball experience has been really positive, team-wise and coaching-wise. I mainly just enjoy playing, and they made me want to play a lot more than if I had coaches or teammates I couldn’t connect with. Everything has contributed to everything, and it built up, and now I am here!
JK: Everyone has put me in a position to get to where I am [now], old coaches, new coaches, and the team, but family first. I think everyone in some aspect has been there for me.
Conn has had volleyball struggles in the past few years, with the last winning roster being our 2017 team. How does it feel being such substantial contributors to the team’s success so early?
MC: It feels nice because you get to be a big part of the team so early and establish yourself. At the same time, it is like, why am I starting as a first-year? I enjoy it. Obviously, I like playing, having a role on the team, contributing, and helping the team win, but it is a little nerve-wracking. Sometimes I wonder, is there an upperclassman who can do this instead of me?
JK: It is exciting and cool because I never thought I would get the opportunity. I am grateful, but I also think we have a really high potential. We have such a high bar that we can reach, so I am excited to see that over the next three years.
What do you think makes this team so successful, and where do you think the team is going in the future?
MC: I think we have a really high potential as a team. The teams that we have played in the past know that we play as a team and as one unit. Things are clicking and are in place. Our passing is good. Our offense is putting the ball away. We have really good energy on the court, and we are super supportive. Those are the times when I personally feel like that is what this team can be; it’s just not consistently at that level yet. There are glimpses of it, but I think we need a little bit more work maintaining that level throughout NESCAC and even non-conference games.
JK: I think [there is] high potential, but we are also a young team because we have a big class. We have some wise people on the team [whom] I have taken a lot of cool feedback from this year, and a lot of things I would not have known without their advice. I am excited to implement that [in] the next three years and just grow from there.
What was the feeling like when you realized you guys were going to the NESCAC championship?
MC: I was excited to hear it because I was excited to keep playing and the season to keep going for at least a little bit longer.
This year, you saw your teammate, Rae Wartelle ’27, win NESCAC Player of the Week. What did that mean to you guys and the rest of the team?
MC: Whenever Josie set her the ball, I said, “Oh, that’s a kill. Alright, perfect.”
JK: I was so hyped! I was so excited for her. She worked her tail off, and she did really well. She was on fire play after play, and they couldn’t shut her down. It is impressive because when I keep feeding a player, at some point, the defense is going to change something and maybe shut or slow them down. There are ways to adjust, but she just kept going. That alone speaks volumes about her as an athlete, and she is a great person. She was on fire!
Are there any awards or ambitions that you are aiming for in your careers?
MC: I am not looking for any accolades personally.
JK: NESCAC Player of the Week and the Championship are up there, and as a team, we want to win and get as far as we can, which was one of our goals at the beginning of the season. Individually, I just want to have a good game every game. Stats-wise, I don’t know; I just want to have fun and enjoy it. I don’t want to get caught up in it. It is only my first year, and I just want to do well.
After the championship, what are your off-season plans or routines?
JK: We are excited to get back into lifting and working on our vertical jump and agility. There’s lots of fun stuff off of the court! Obviously getting some reps in but I don’t know what I am going to do with all of the free time. I am excited to take in life and reground myself.
Does the team have any team bonding activities, traditions, or pre-game rituals?
(In unison) Calabria!
MC: We stand in a circle. Someone starts and does their dance move. Then, the next person does their own dance move and the dance move of the person before them. Then it bounces around the circle, and whoever messes it up is out. Then, the circle shrinks.
