GVSU Honors Hornung PE Instructor
February 26, 2021
By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com
A one-time elite collegiate athlete who is now a physical education teacher in the Brighton Area Schools is being recognized by her alma mater. Carly Anderson - the former Carly Miller - is being honored this month as the premiere volleyball player, and one of the top female athletes overall, in Grand Valley State University history.
To continue our month-long celebration of Women in Sport, we hear from 2009 hall of fame inductee Carly Anderson (Miller)
— GVSU Volleyball (@GVSUVOLLEY) February 18, 2021
Give Now: https://t.co/jNjtVbwTG7
Women in Sport: https://t.co/71trP2NicA pic.twitter.com/6utIXPVSCy
GVSU has designated the entire month of February to honor and recognize the impact that its female student-athletes such as Anderson have had on the university through a special series of features called “Women In Sports” that chronicle past female trailblazers at the university, which has about 21,000 students, is located near Grand Rapids in Allendale, Michigan.
Anderson, originally from Jackson, had a remarkable career at Jackson High School, setting a national record in “kills” — the word meaning a volleyball strike that is unreturnable by the opposition. She was on the all-state team and the first athlete there to earn four varsity letters in three sports: volleyball, basketball, and soccer. At Grand Valley, Anderson was one of the most decorated players in Laker volleyball program history, guiding Grand Valley to three (GLIAC) league titles, three NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional crowns, three Elite Eight appearances and two NCAA Division II Final Four trips during her career. The Lakers were a combined 119-19 during her time there, and she was a four-time member of the All-GLIAC First Team. Additionally, Miller was an American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-American in 2001 and 2002. She was inducted into the Grand Valley State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Anderson says that being inducted into the Hall of Fame was one of the proudest moments of her life.
After she graduated from college and spent a year teaching in Florida, Anderson was persuaded to come to Brighton by BHS Athletic Director John Thompson for a teaching and coaching position. She was hired as a second-grade teacher at Hornung Elementary, and also served as assistant high school volleyball coach, later becoming head coach of the Brighton varsity volleyball team. She resigned after eight years of teaching and coaching to start a family but came back to Hornung last fall as the physical education teacher. Her two children - daughter Miller, a second-grader - and son Stephen, who is in kindergarten - attend Hornung.
Carly, who is married to Steve Anderson, says she has a passion for teaching and coaching, particularly young children. She says she wants her students “to know they can do or be anything they want to be. They just have to have passion and work hard for it.”