MILLER — Jolie Palmer has been a constant figure for the Miller Rustler volleyball program.

The senior libero has started since she’s been a freshman, has played in three state tournaments and is nearing 2,000 career digs. Those reasons are why Miller coach Linda DeBoer speaks highly of the all-stater and her impact on the program. 

“She’s such a valuable player both on serve-receive and on defense in the back row,” DeBoer said. “She’s just this consistent presence that’s going to deliver the best ball possible in every situation. We rely on her so much for her athleticism and her ability to read the court so well that she just presents such a constant for us. She’s a constant variable that keeps us rolling.”

Palmer has totaled 1,826 digs, 218 aces and 223 assists, while helping the Rustlers rack up 96 wins (and counting) the past four seasons. 

DeBoer, a long-time coach with more than 700 wins, has coached multiple all-state volleyball players. But said Palmer’s consistency and longevity make her standout at the libero position. 

“I have had great liberos in the past, but they might have only played that position for one or two years,” DeBoer said. “I think for the four years that she’s played, it definitely puts her at the top or near the top in that libero position.”

Miller's Jolie Palmer serves the ball in the third set of a high school volleyball match Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 in Burke. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Palmer, a 5-foot-6 libero, has dabbled in other sports through the years like basketball, track and field, softball, cross-country, golf and gymnastics. While each activity helped her development as an athlete, she said volleyball is her favorite sport.  

“I like the competition and I love the team aspect,” Palmer said about volleyball. “We are so close and bonded. We have been playing together for so long. … I like as a DS (defensive specialist) making plays and kind of surprising yourself and your teammates by doing it for them to keep the ball alive.”

Long before Palmer suited up for the Rustlers, she honed her volleyball skills as a youngster while her mother, Trinity Hunter, was a junior high school and junior olympic coach. 

“I am lucky that my mom was so involved in volleyball when I was a kid because I don’t know where I would be if I wasn’t going to all the state tournaments and her practices,” Palmer said. “I probably started playing volleyball when I was a baby. I just remember going to state volleyball every year when I was a kid, and looking at that team and being like ‘Yeah, I want to do that when I am older.’ ”

Palmer looked up to former Rustlers like Kadye Fernholz and VonnaGail Schlechter. Fernholz, who is a current Miller assistant coach, played college volleyball at Division I Kansas State University. 

“Me and Kadye, we have a huge age difference,” Palmer said. “But she is kind of my go-to sometimes, someone to talk to, someone that’s been in my shoes in the volleyball department. I just aspire to be as successful as her.”

Miller's Jolie Palmer watches on as Emma Pugh sets herself for a dig in the third set of a high school volleyball match Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 in Burke. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Much like Fernholz, who was an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and 2019 Gatorade South Dakota volleyball player of the year, Palmer has been a staple in the Miller volleyball program. 

DeBoer had an inkling early on that Palmer would be a special player, citing her athleticism, volleyball IQ and her passion for the position. 

“It was kind of a combination of those three things that she had early on that made me think this girl is a very special talent and is going to do great things for herself and for our team,” DeBoer said. 

It’s why DeBoer trusted Palmer enough to throw her into the starting lineup as a freshman. But Palmer admits now it was nerve-racking making the transition. 

“It was a huge jump going from my eighth-grade year to then the quick pace of varsity and making it to state that year,” Palmer said. “I kind of felt like the underdog. But at the same time my team was so welcoming and supportive of me and my back row abilities that it just made me that much more confident in the back row that even sometimes when I didn’t believe in myself, my team and my coach believed in me.”

Palmer settled into the position, and found her niche within the program. In addition to her athletic abilities, Palmer said her personality lends itself to being a natural at her position. 

“I am kind of a loud person,” Palmer said. “I like to voice my opinions and I like to talk, which is a huge thing as a defensive specialist. They kind of lead the court in the back row, and they can see everything. I feel like I have a pretty outgoing personality, which kind of helps me be relentless on the court and going for every ball.”

DeBoer said Palmer has epitomized what it means to be a Rustler volleyball player, on and off the court. Palmer has been a recipient of Miller’s ACE Award, standing for attitude, character and effort.

“She just exudes all of that when she’s on the court, whether practice or in a match,” DeBoer said. “What you see in a match is what we get every single day in practice out of her. She’s just a phenomenal athlete and just a joy to be around every day.”

The award is voted on by the team, and Palmer said it’s rewarding to know her efforts aren’t going unnoticed. 

“It means a lot because that means my team is seeing me as a role model and someone who can pick up the energy and talk and has a good attitude within the games,” Palmer said. “It’s just good because I do try and be that person for my team and I am glad it’s received the way that it should be. It’s good that my teammates think of me that way.”

Palmer, who maintains a 3.9 grade point average, is also involved in National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and her church youth group. 

She hopes to play college volleyball, and is being recruited by Northern State University, Dakota Wesleyan University and Minnesota West Community & Technical College. 

But first, Palmer is chasing another state tournament appearance and finishing out her Rustler volleyball career. 

“Our quote this year is ‘Just Be,’ ” Palmer said. “So we are kind of thinking just be in the moment, just be yourself, just do your part. There’s so much about the future that is unspoken and unsaid. But we are just focusing right now on being in the present and savoring every moment.”