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| Posted/Updated: 7/18/2024 8:14:23 AM | ||
Hurricane Hunter: Liberty's Adam Mittl was a force in boys volleyballIt's with a laugh and a lot of love for his older sister, Grace, that Adam Mittl vividly recalls his first experience playing organized volleyball. "I was not very willing," Mittl, the youngest of three siblings, said. "We were riding in the car to a tryout for the East Coast Power team at Catasauqua High School and I was really mad at my sister. She forced me to go that day." And then … "I immediately loved it," he said, smiling. "I realized right away that I was wrong. But at the time, I was being a stubborn 8-year-old." And now … A recent graduate of Liberty High School, Mittl was the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference's MVP after a superb senior season for the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-5 outside hitter established the program record for career points, with 1,560, and he was selected to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association All-State first team. Mittl is The Morning Call's player of the year. "It's really amazing how everything turned out," said Mittl, a mathematics and science whiz who ranked third overall in a graduating class of more than 600. "It was a wonderful experience to play volleyball at Liberty and go to school there. I'll always remember it positively." His senior season was one filled with personal accomplishments and milestones – as well as team successes. Mittl eclipsed the 1,000-kill mark in Liberty's second match of the season, a three-set triumph over eventual EPC and District 11 3A finalist Whitehall. He called that the highlight of the season. The Hurricanes qualified for the conference and district playoffs and finished their season with a 14-6 record. "We'd lost to Whitehall to end our season the year before," Mittl said of his favorite memory. "It was a home match and we played probably our best match of the year. "Dr. [Neiad] Amary [Liberty's previous head coach] was there and they gave me the game ball with my name painted on it and they announced it in front of all our fans. My family and friends were there. I'll definitely remember that night forever." With a long, lean body type at 6-5, 165 pounds – "I probably have the perfect build for volleyball," he said – Mittl routinely dominated opponents with his power and precision at the net and with his variety of serves. Mittl credited senior setter and close friend Cristian Matos for all the assists, and said the entire team had a special kinship. Parkland coach Scott Trumbauer called Mittl a standout on the court but also the ultimate team player. "Adam had such a unique talent as a volleyball player. You could also tell by his demeanor that he was a really nice young man who genuinely loved his teammates," Trumbauer said. "Every team that played Liberty came up with a plan to try to slow down Adam but it wasn't an easy task." As awesome as Mittl was on the court, he was equally (or more) impressive in the classroom. A son of David and Mary Mittl of Bethlehem, Adam Mittl compiled a 4.95 grade average while at Liberty and earned several academic scholarships to Virginia Tech University where he plans to study meteorology. His older siblings also are high achievers. Michael, who works in finance in New York City, was a captain on the baseball and soccer teams at Liberty. Grace, who owns her own company called Absurd Snacks, excelled in track and field (she was a long jumper at Richmond University) and volleyball. "Our parents never pushed us," said Adam Mittl, who named AP Chemistry teacher Dusty Little as his favorite at Liberty. "They never said to us you have to get straight A's. We knew school was important, though, and I became very competitive academically. I was like if this kid got that grade, I need to get this score." He laughed. "I loosened up this year but I was still competitive." Virginia Tech does not have an NCAA men's volleyball program so Mittl plans to play on the club team – and perhaps chase a storm or two around Blacksburg, Virginia. "I've always had a passion for weather," he said. "I'm fascinated by severe weather, storms so powerful they affect lives. I plan to research climate change and extreme weather, and see where I end up going with it." Spoken like a true Hurricane. MORNING CALL ALL-AREA BOYS VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM Michael Blouse is a freelance writer |
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Questions/Comments? Contact Scott Trumbauer