An athlete the caliber of Brennan Miles is a rare commodity. 

Miles’ on-court IQ is rare and the lethality that accompanied each spike made the Discovery Canyon senior a dream for his team and a nightmare for the opposition. 

While Discovery Canyon boys volleyball coach Mallory Richardson will miss Miles’ athleticism next season, she knows he possesses other intangibles that no coach can teach.  

“His hustle is unmatched,” Richardson said. “That’s something that every coach will miss. That’s not something that’s taught, that’s inherited. … I will miss the hustle and the love for the game that he showed, the camaraderie he had with his teammates and the willingness to put forth all the effort he could.”

This year’s Gazette Preps’ Boys’ Volleyball Peak Performer of the Year owned a sense of urgency that helped the Thunder finish the season 24-4, their third-best mark in team history. Despite opening the season 6-0, Richardson and Miles noted that the team had a “rocky start” to the year. 

For Discovery Canyon, an undefeated record does not mean perfect play and the Thunder learned that lesson after their sixth win. The Thunder lost in straight sets to Rampart on March 19 and failed to reach 20 points in any of the three games against the Rams.

The previously unblemished record did nothing to mask what Miles called a “disconnect” between setters and hitters. Miles also said they struggled to find the drive and will to win. The cohesion normally abundant with the Thunder was missing and Richardson said Miles recognized that.

“Brennan made the decision with his co-captain that they needed to have that discussion as a team, but it didn’t need to have coaches involved the whole time,” Richardson said. “They wanted, as a team, to build that cohesiveness themselves and make sure they wanted the same goals.”

Miles, along with co-captain Ben Le, had a players-only meeting with their Thunder teammates during a practice to right the ship. 

“I told them we had to get our heads out of our butts and lock in,” Miles said. “Coach is doing what she can and we’re content with where we’re at and that’s not going to get us to state. There was a phase where, as a captain, I had to step up and get people in the right direction.”

After their loss to Rampart, the Thunder wrapped the regular season 13-1 and only dropped seven sets prior to the 5A regional tournament. The Thunder won both regional contests to advance to state and swept the Rams in the opener to advance to the second round.

The Thunder faced top-seeded Eaglecrest, which ended Discovery Canyon’s nine-match winning streak with a sweep. That loss dropped the Thunder to the consolation bracket where Discovery Canyon battled from the second round consolation to the cusp of the state finals. 

Discovery Canyon lost to eventual state champ Grandview, but that unmatched hustle Richardson praised Miles for reared its head in the Thunder’s season finale. 

Miles, who injured his left ankle against Rampart in the tournament opener, battle through that pain to remain on the court against Grandview. As the Wolves pulled ahead in the match, Miles sensed the Thunder losing momentum and attempted to rejuvenate his teammates. 

“At some point I was like, ‘I’ve said all I could say,’” Miles said. “I need to lead by action. I’m going to have to outwork everyone in here to show that this game’s not over. A ball was hit down the line at my setter, Ben Le, and it went off his shoulder, and I went to get the ball to put it back in play.” 

As Miles bolted toward the ball — which he saved — he became entangled with the net that separated the 5A and 4A games at Fountain-Fort Carson’s Trojan Arena, and the net dropped from the ceiling to the floor. 

“That showed the willingness to play the game and that the game wasn’t over,” Miles said. “I think that lightened the mood and got guys back into an OK headspace.”   

Grandview beat Discovery Canyon in straight sets, but the Thunder’s final three losses this year came to the Wolves and Eaglecrest, both of which rank in the nation’s top 50.

Though Discovery Canyon missed its shot to win a third title in team history, Miles said he’s proud of how the Thunder wrapped the year. And Richardson said she’s grateful for his unflappable mentality.

“Whether it was extra reps at practice or him trying new things coaches asked him to do, he was always willing,” Richardson said. “We’ll miss how much love for the game he had and how much you could see that. Coaching kids like that makes this job more special.”