BHS Standout Volleyball Player Myleigh Smell Signs Letter of Intent to Continue Career at Wheeling
By Chris Johnson on November 24, 2024
Bridgeport High School volleyball standout Myleigh Smell recently finalized plans to continue playing at the next level as she signed her national letter of intent with Wheeling University.
The signing ceremony took place on Thursday at BHS in front of a crowd of family, friends, teammates and coaches.
“Wheeling was one of my first options,” Smell said. “As soon as I got the offer it was the one I took almost instantly. It was a choice that was necessarily easy but being there, it felt like home, and I felt so welcomed there and all the girls were so amazing. That made my choice a little easier.
“Being closer to home also helped. I had a few other offers that were a little further away.”
Smell will go down as one of the best volleyball players in BHS history.
She was an impact player as a freshman and just continued to get better every year. She just wrapped up a senior season that saw her finish with 626 kills, 400 digs, 74 aces, 63 blocks and 27 assists while leading the Indians to the Class AAA state championship.
For her career, Smell had 1,301 kills, 1,069 digs, 262 aces, 118 blocks and 83 assists. She is a two-time Big 10 Conference Player of the Year. She earned Class AAA second-team All-State honors as a sophomore, earned first-team honors as a junior and way a state player of the year finalist in 2023 (Class AAA all-state and the state player of the year winner for 2024 will be announced later this week).
The stats and awards are impressive, but they pale in comparison to her on-court vision, competitiveness, leadership and love of the game that helped lead her team to the biggest goal they wanted to achieve, the state championship.
“It’s starting to sink in a little bit,” she said. “Just realizing that we did it, that’s what we were working for since our first day together in July. But I don’t think it will fully sink in until we get our rings.”
Smell’s overall skill set on the court figures to transfer easily to the next level.
“I will play wherever they need me,” she said. “I feel comfortable playing any spot on the court. Throughout high school I wanted to be versatile, and I think that helps.
“I want to bring my energy, my spirit. I’m a bubbly, smiley person and I think that can help with team chemistry.”
College athletics are nothing new in the Smell household. She is one of three triplets. Her sister Bria is a standout soccer player who signed her letter of intent with Cal, PA, the same day. Her brother Ethan is one of the school’s top cross country runners. All three are also key members of the BHS track and field team in the spring.
And on top of that, their parents, Jeff and Cyndy, were both accomplished collegiate athletes at Alderson Broaddus.
“Oh yeah, growing up in that environment helped,” Myleigh said. “There wasn’t pressure, but there was always that thought in the back of my mind that they went and played college sports, maybe I could do that one day. That was a big motivational factor.
“It’s going to be hard (next year away from her siblings). For the last 18 years, we’ve been close, we’ve been right beside each other in the same house. So, I think it will be an adjustment. But it also gives a chance to go out and write our own chapter.”
Attending Wheeling also puts Smell one step closer to reaching another goal she has had for a while now.
“I’m going to major in pediatric nursing,” she said. “Ever since I was in kindergarten, I’ve wanted to be a pediatric nurse. It’s another dream that’s coming close to reality.”
Editor’s Note:Top photo shows Myleigh surrounded by her family and coaches at her signing ceremony. Bottom photo shows Myleigh along with several teammates from the Class AAA state champion Indians volleyball team.
