“Give yourself the same grace you give to your teammates.”

That is the advice senior co-captain Mira Klem of the Coppell volleyball team has made her personal mantra after years of diligence.

Encouraged by her parents and motivated by her siblings, Klem signed up for almost every sport in the book.

“My mom played tennis and my dad played baseball in high school, and as kids they tried out a bunch of different sports, like soccer, baseball and more,” Klem said. “This influenced me because I was raised in a really competitive household with two older brothers, and we all took on multiple sports.”

After being exposed to a variety of sports ranging from gymnastics to middle school basketball, Klem honed in on her passion for volleyball. Playing for a diverse array of club volleyball teams including Texas Advantage Volleyball, Excel, Drive Nation and Tejas Volleyball, Klem was able to find a sisterhood within every single one– accentuating her love for the sport.

“No matter how rough the season was going or if we didn’t like the coach, my teams have always been tight knit, and I have gotten to know some of my best friends from volleyball,” Klem said.

Since holding the position of setter from her YMCA volleyball days, a role that tends to be regarded with a leadership title on youth volleyball leagues, Klem often saw herself developing into a reliable figure for her high school’s team someday.

However, as she advanced in her volleyball career, Klem noticed how a player’s position on the team had little correlation to why they were chosen as leaders.

“One of our captains last year, Skye Lamendola, influenced me because she was an extremely versatile player,” Klem said. “She played in the position I currently play, and I idolized her because even though she held such a huge role on the team she still managed to connect with all the players on the team.”

To reach her full potential, Klem decided to strive for a spot on the varsity team.

Taking it to heart every year she missed the mark, Klem decided to push herself to improve upon any weakness. Her dedication and work ethic opened a spot for Klem on varsity her junior year.

“Up until my sophomore year I had never played serve receive because I had mostly been setting,” Klem said. “I had to serve-receive in rotation when I began hitting, and at first I really struggled with it.  However, after practicing non stop in the gym I can now serve-receive every game.”

From her initial experiences of confronting aspects of volleyball that challenged her, Klem has progressed a long way. Through the course of her high school volleyball career, Klem has embraced the challenges thrown her way in order to become a more versatile player. Not only has Klem’s ambition given her the assets to become a force of nature on game day, it intensifies her team’s abilities.

“I’m proud of my versatility on court because I am able to take initiative whenever and wherever my team needs assistance,” Klem said.

Stepping up to the role of co-captain for her senior season, Klem was left to emerge into this leadership role. By executing her acquired knowledge from past leadership into her own, Klem continues to be a source of inspiration to the other girls.

“It can be really difficult to step into that role after being under so many strong leaders last year,” Coppell volleyball coach Robyn Ross said. “Mira continues to perfect how to deliver expectations to her teammates without discouraging them, and how to keep the program standards high.”

Using self observation for dictating how to guide the younger girls on the team towards a more fulfilling group experience, Klem promotes positivity on the court by celebrating the “small wins” in losses. This is more effective in making improvements on court rather than lowering morale.

“Mira is a hard worker and leads by example which is what I look for in the girls who will lead within this program,” Ross said. “She is dedicated to this program and her teammates.”

Teammates appreciate the high standards Klem sets.

“Mira always gives 100% at practices and this has been reflected over the years,” senior co-captain Kate Macdonald said. “And she is a player we can rely on to push us to be our best during a game.”

Leadership is holding yourself to higher standards than you hold your team to, and in Klem’s case it is also giving them a target to aim for.

Klem played her last home game on Tuesday, with her season coming to a bittersweet ending.

“Even though it didn’t end the way we wanted to, this was a game we played the most as a team and we really put as much effort and everything we had on the court and never once did we give up or start shutting down,” Klem said. “We were always there for each other and did everything in our power to do as best as we could.”

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