BOCA RATON, Fla. — A volleyball prodigy is working to lead Boca Raton Community High School to its first state championship while setting nearly every school record in the process.
Mija Bendziute is one of the most sought-after names in volleyball.
Now, the young phenom is committed to the University of California, Los Angeles on a full-ride volleyball scholarship, but before she heads to the West Coast, she hopes to finish her high school career with a state championship.
Bendziute's rise to volleyball greatness is something she dreamed of as a little girl, starting the sport when she was eight years old. She was born into an athletic family and was destined to be an athlete
"My mom played professional volleyball, so she was a big reason why I went into it," Bendziute said. "First practice, I just fell in love with it."
It's not only her mother that comes from an athletic background. Her brother is a professional basketball player, and her dad was once a pro basketball player as well.
Standing at 6'3", her head coach, Dre Sloan, describes the senior as a generational talent.
"All of the players are significantly important to us as a unit as a team, but every team needs to have that strong leader, and she does a fantastic job of doing that,” Sloan said.
For the past three years, Sloan has watched Bendziute elevate herself into one of the country's top players. Bendziute currently holds the serve-receive record and recently beat the record for aces in Boca High's history.
"I think it's just great to be a part of her journey and witness her success," Sloan said.
She'll be attending UCLA on a full-ride volleyball scholarship.
The UCLA commit understands playing for a legendary program is an honor, but she said that she has a final mission to complete as a high school student.
"Sophomore year, we made it to the Final Four, we got to States and made it to the semifinal. Last year, we made fell short of two points in the regional final," Bendziute said. "This year, we're aiming to go to states again."
