In seventh grade, Cameron Milligan found what may be his life's work. In ninth grade, he made a firm commitment to it, and at 23, he's working hard to live the dream and to turn it into a future reality.
Milligan loves volleyball. He's playing professionally and preparing for a future coaching career.
"Volleyball is such a unique sport," Milligan said. "You can bond with people and have such a great time every day. I think that sets it apart from other sports."
If Pavilion High School, partnered with York, didn't have a boys volleyball team — only one of 25 boys volleyball programs in Section V — there's a chance Milligan would be doing something different with his life.
"I'm extremely lucky that we had a team," Milligan said. "I'm so glad that we have that sport offered at Pavilion, because it's such a great sport, and there truly are so many opportunities popping up for boys and men in volleyball."
Milligan got involved with volleyball in seventh grade and fell in love with it immediately. He played four years of varsity volleyball at Pavilion, setting school records for kills in a match and in a season. But it was a loss in his freshman year that cemented his future in the sport.
"In ninth grade, that was when I truly discovered that this is what I wanted to pursue," Milligan said. "My freshman year, I was on varsity, and we lost to Midlakes in the finals. And it was just since that point, I've wanted to pursue greatness in the sport as much as I can."
The appeal of volleyball goes beyond the camaraderie. Milligan described it as a beautiful sport to watch, where physicality meets strategic thinking.
"The decision-making is met with insane physicality, and it's very impressive," he said.
It's also a safer alternative to contact sports like football. The only real injuries, Milligan noted, are broken fingers and ankles, and those are fairly uncommon.
For athletes looking to excel, Milligan believes volleyball offers unique benefits. It can help basketball players increase their vertical jump, and studies show that elite athletes typically played multiple sports throughout their lives rather than specializing in just one, he said.
After high school, Milligan earned a spot at Daemen College, a Division II school in Amherst. The 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6 outside hitter worked hard for four years, eventually earning a starting position that he never relinquished.
As an outside hitter, Milligan's role requires him to contribute across multiple facets of the game — attacking, serving and defense.
His college career was marked by significant achievements — 675 kills and 87 service aces, both ranking him second in program history. He earned two All-Northeast Conference selections. In his senior year, Daemen was ranked No. 20 in the country.
Milligan graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in business administration.
"I ended up getting some agents reaching out to me and asking if I wanted to play pro," Milligan said. "And now here I am, after a year and a half or so playing pro."
Milligan has a Canadian agent, and the agency is based in Greece. He just finished a season in Puerto Rico with Gigantes de Carolina and is heading to Denmark on Jan. 6 to join a team there for the second half of their season.
The international experience has been rewarding in ways that extend beyond the court.
"Everybody is so welcoming, and it's cool to see different cultures," Milligan said. "I've practiced a lot of Spanish now, and it's just very fun. Being able to connect with people from all over the world is such a fun thing."
Milligan has professional goals. One of them is playing in the Superlega, an Italian league that is perhaps the volleyball equivalent of soccer's Premier League. Other top professional leagues include those in Poland, Germany, Russia and Japan.
But he's realistic about the challenges he faces — he started later than many of his competitors, graduated from a high school in a senior class of just 37 students, and played at a small Division II college that, despite its success, doesn't carry the name recognition of larger programs.
"I'm shooting high, and if I miss, then I'm okay with it," Milligan said. "I know that I push myself, and set myself a high goal, and even if I don't reach it, I know that I'm still gonna be doing some things to be happy about."
He doesn't appear to be on the Olympic team track. While he knows players in the Team USA system, he hasn't received opportunities with the program yet.
Playing at a high level isn't without its challenges, and he faced some of those during his first professional season in Denmark. The realization he needed to turn a corner transformed his life not just spiritually but gave him more peace and confidence on the court.
In Denmark, Milligan realized he had been worshiping volleyball. It had become his idol. As a result, his emotional state was entirely dependent on his performance.
"When volleyball is the only thing that you are counting on for your happiness or for your well-being, you're going to be living your life like a roller coaster," he said. "And that's how I was feeling."
One night, he decided to put God first in his life.
"Finally, I said, 'Well, God, I'm done worshiping volleyball. I'm going to put you above volleyball for the first time in my life,'" Milligan said. "And from that point on, it's been peace, joy and just a peaceful life that I've never understood before."
The change improved him as a player. Where he used to spiral after mistakes, he now plays with a different mindset.
"My self-worth is dependent on God. It's not dependent on how volleyball is going, and it just allows me to play with peace instead of fear," he said.
When he's home, Milligan attends Northgate Free Methodist Church in Batavia. He was baptized on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Milligan plans to stay involved with volleyball long after his playing career ends. He already coaches while playing professionally and spends considerable time watching game film and analyzing plays. He maintains a YouTube channel where he breaks down games and studies technique.
This summer, he hopes to run volleyball camps in Genesee County to help grow the sport locally.
"I have a big passion for coaching," Milligan said. "I love being involved with kids, and I think it's a very important thing to have someone that cares about the kid in that world, so they can help them, guide them, and just maybe help them succeed in the sport as well."
His commitment to promoting volleyball is personal. At church on Sunday, he met a kid whose high school doesn't have a volleyball team — a situation he understands well, given how rare boys' volleyball programs are.
"I want to grow the sport. I want to help other kids excel in the sport," Milligan said. "I want to grow the sport as much as I can because it's given so much to me."
Submitted photos.
