Below is an excerpt from The San Diego Union Tribune Article, “‘A nicer version of me’: Cathedral Catholic star Jenna Hanes follows in her mom’s volleyball footsteps.”

Michigan-bound middle blocker returns to lead a Cathedral Catholic powerhouse that lost just 1 set a year ago

Jenna Hanes knew her mother played volleyball, knew she had been a good player but didn’t know how good. Then in the eighth grade, Jenna did some sleuthing.

Here’s what she discovered: Kara Milling was a three-time CIF-San Diego Section player of the year at Poway High School, started at UCLA for four years, earned All-American honors and played on the U.S. national team.

“That,” said Jenna, “is when I realized my mom was a superstar.”

Now a senior at Cathedral Catholic, Hanes is following in her mother’s footsteps. A 6-foot-2 middle blocker who has committed to Michigan, Hanes is one of three starters back from a team that lost just one set in a 42-0 season.

The Dons won the Open Division state championship and were named the No. 1 team in the nation by MaxPreps.com.

So what can Cathedral do for an encore?

Sitting at a table behind the Cathedral baseline as JV players blasted kill shots just 10 feet in front of her, Hanes said, “Obviously, we know the stakes are high. We have targets on our backs. We just have to continue to work hard. If we’re able to do that, we have a good shot to be as good as we were last year.”

The team goal?

“Two-peat,” she said.

As in another mythical national championship?

“We’ve got to take it one at a time,” Hanes said. “First, CIF.”

Hanes is blessed with athletic genetics. There’s her mother’s pedigree. Her father was a backup quarterback at UCLA. Her mother’s brother, Kyle Milling, was a standout basketball player at Poway who played at Oregon.

As for who has most influenced her volleyball career, Hanes flashes a 1,000-watt smile and gives props to her mother.

“She’s my inspiration,” Hanes said.

“My mom just wanted me to do what I loved, what was best for me,” said Jenna. “She never forced me to play volleyball. I was naturally drawn to it.”

But Kara wasn’t shy about pushing the buttons she knew would motivate her daughter.

Said Jenna, “She’ll jokingly say, ‘I jumped higher than you. My legs were twice your size. At your age, I had a full six-pack.'”

Hanes calls last year’s 42-0 run “the best time of my life.” The season was memorable not just for its perfection but for challenges Hanes overcame. For starters, it was her first season playing high school volleyball.

Continue to The San Diego Union Tribune to read the full article.