Waller's World

St. Louis prep star Erin Waller is a star on and off the court.

By Mike Miazga

Erin Waller gets the big picture.

The Incarnate Word Academy senior, who also plays club for the successful Team St. Louis organization, has quite the bright volleyball path ahead of her.

However, there's more than just volleyball in the grand scheme of things for Waller.

"School is my number one priority," said Waller, who will continue both her academic and volleyball careers at Stanford this fall. "School is what is going to get me places in life. Volleyball is important too, but school is what is going to be there when volleyball isn't."

Waller was an ASICS®/Volleyball All-American first-team pick in 2004 and was named to the 2005 to the 2005 Volleyball Fab 50 list.

Waller sports a 3.9 GPA and is on the high honor roll at Incarnate Word, an all girls' catholic high school (enrollment 550) located in St. Louis, Mo. She is thinking about going pre-med in college, but says tackling the biology side of things as an undergrad might be in the cards in the immediate future. She mentioned anesthesiology as a possible career path.

And her path down the road marked volleyball has been equally prosperous.

The 6'1" Waller helped lead Incarnate Word to back-to-back state championships in 2003 and 2004 and a 108-9-2 record over the last three seasons. She racked up over 1,300 kills in her high school career and holds school records in career kills and blocks.

Lofty achievements like that have led to a torrent of local and national awards. Her most prestigious honors include being named to the 2005 Volleyball Fab 50 list and earning 2004 ASICS®/Volleyball All-American first-team accolades.

Waller, a middle blocker, was also named the Missouri state Gatorade High School Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

"Without a doubt, she's the best player I've coached," said Incarnate Word coach Lisa Ortlet. "The biggest thing Erin has that sets her apart is her discipline. She shows that same discipline whether it's schoolwork or in the weight room or making sure she is rested during the season. Erin has a lot of God-given talent. She's an athlete and when you combine that with her superior discipline, that's brought her to the next level."

Ortlet is also impressed with how well Waller has handled the praise and admiration that has come her way.

"Erin is very unaffected with all of the hype and everything that has happened to her over the last few years," said Ortlet. "That says a lot about the type of person she is. It's nice to see that in a young woman. And I think her peers appreciate that aspect as well. It is more important for Erin to be on the same level as the other girls."

Incarnate Word senior setter Caitlin Smith has seen Waller's humility on a daily basis.

Classroom Champion: Waller maintains a 3.9 GPA at Incarnate Word Academy.

"When she made the decision that she was going to Stanford, we almost had to ask her," said Smith, who will play soccer at Tennessee-Martin. "That is why she is so well-respected. When she won the Gatorade award she never came out and said it. Coach prompted her to tell us. If you didn't know who she was, you would never hear it from her mouth, 'Oh, I'm Erin Waller.' She is so humble even with all of the awards she has received."

Waller is blown away by the grandiose nature of her accomplishments.

"I never expected anything like this to happen," said Waller, who hails from the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin, Mo. "It's awesome."

When she first started playing the game in the fourth grade, Waller was far from the player she was today.

"I was really bad," she laughed.

"When I first tried out for club, I was worried I wouldn't even make it. This has been more hard work than talent. I hated sitting on the bench. I worked for it. If you work for it, you will get it."

Team St. Louis 18's coach John Allman sees another determining factor in Waller's ascension into the ranks of an elite player.

"It's her dedication to the sport and the fact she plays with passion," said Allman. "You can do X's and O's, but sometimes it gets down to passion and that's her biggest asset."

Smith marvels at Waller's abilities on the court.

"No matter where the set is, she somehow finds a way to make the ball go down," said Smith. "She can place shots too. She's well-rounded and can play defense in the back row. It's such a privilege to set her. She would make any set I put up look good. She can make any kind of a set look good. She's the best player I've seen around."

Waller also stars for Team St. Louis on the club circuit.

Speaking of Incarnate Word, Waller says she will miss the close-knit atmosphere at the school.

"The team, the tradition and the camaraderie have been so awesome," said Waller, whose parents both played sports in college (Don Waller played at Kansas State. Joann Waller played at Coe College).

"Going to an all-girls school is fun. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's a lot less stress. I can wake up 15 minutes before school and get ready. Nobody wears make-up. If you wear make-up, you are considered weird. It's more school-focused."

As one of the most sought-after prep recruits, Waller admits the process of selecting a college was a learning experience.

"I started getting a lot of letters. They filled up a big box," said Waller. "But it was worth everything. I took the visits. It was important to take my time. I wanted to get that feeling that I was doing the right thing. Stanford was the last visit I took. I knew for sure. All five girls in this class took their visits at the same time. It felt like we knew each other forever."

During her club career, Waller made Stanford coach John Dunning take notice.

"Any time I walked by Erin's court at a tournament, I had to stop and watch," Dunning said in a release last fall after Waller signed her national letter of intent. "She has a real feel for the game, is in the right place at the right time a lot, seems to see things on the court that others may not. The fact that she is very competitive and has excellent all-around skills will allow her to play more than one position in college."

Improving herself on the defensive side is something Waller made a priority.

"Defense for sure," said Waller when asked where she has raised her game the most of late. "I used to be terrible. Now I'm starting to get the hang of it. The first time I really stayed in the game the whole time was sophomore year. Junior year I played all-around in club. I've still got a lot to learn though. I want to be versatile."

That versatility Waller says will be critical when she heads to Palo Alto later this year.

"I'm going to Stanford to play with a bunch of great athletes," said Waller. "If they don't have room for me in the front row, I want to be able to something."

And odds are it will be more than just "something."

"I think she will do really well at Stanford," said Smith. "She's so well-rounded. I know she will work hard and eventually get what she wants."

Erin Quick Hits:

Has two jobs at a furniture store and a gym
Last CD she bought was Josh Groban (for her boyfriend)
Drives a Chevy Trailblazer
Most recent movie she saw was "Bruce Almighty" (starring Jim Carrey)
Forever 21 is one of her favorite stores
Every year has earned four St. Louis Cardinals tickets through her high school for getting straight A's