Photo by Lindsay Handey Photography
Millie Burgess (12) of Vestavia Hills in the match again Mountain Brook High School at Vestavia Hills High School on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.
Being in the gym at Vestavia Hills High School was second nature for Millie Burgess growing up.
Her mom, Mandy, was the head coach at Vestavia Hills for many of Millie’s formative years, coaching the Rebels from 2000-2012, and again from 2016-2019.
Millie doesn’t remember anything different than coming over to the high school in the afternoons and hanging out while her mom’s teams practiced or played.
“I loved it,” Millie said.
There are certainly a few moments from Millie’s younger years that stand out, such as her and her brother drawing the ire of their parents after dropping a volleyball onto the court during an important varsity match.
“It’s one of those moments that’s a funny story to look back on; they were just little,” Mandy Burgess recalled, noting that point had to be replayed.
It would have been natural for Millie to assume that her mom would be her high school volleyball coach one day, but Mandy stepped away from coaching while Millie was in middle school. There is no negativity in their voices when they agree that it was probably for the best that Millie be able to build her own identity. without dealing with the “coach’s kid” label.
Ashley Hardee has been the Rebels’ head coach for the last five years, and Millie has had a terrific experience playing under his guidance.
“I think the world of Ashley Hardee,” Mandy said. “He has been instrumental significantly, not just for [Millie], but for the program.”
Millie earned a spot on the varsity team during Hardee’s first year, but didn’t become a fixture in the starting lineup until her sophomore season. Hardee had a pretty good idea early on that Millie would become a star.
“She’s turned into that, and beyond,” Hardee said.
Mandy Burgess was known for her intensity on the sidelines as a coach, and Hardee sees some of that in Millie’s game as well. Mandy also notices some similarities from her own playing days with the way Millie plays the game.
The lineage sure hasn’t hurt Millie. Not many players have a mother with the same depth of volleyball knowledge to offer insight and correction.
“She’s always right,” Millie said, with a laugh. “Sometimes, my dad has to remind me of that.”
But make no mistake, Millie has charted her own course. She accepted an offer to play collegiately at Jacksonville State University, because she has turned into an exceptional outside hitter who is recognized as one of the top players in Alabama.
Before that, there is still work to be done. This year’s Vestavia Hills team has the potential to achieve history. Each athletics program at Vestavia Hills has a banner that hangs in the gym — the same one Millie grew up in — to recognize state championships won over the years.
But the volleyball one remains empty. The Rebels have come close, like in 2012 when Mandy led the team to a state runner-up finish. Last year, Millie led her team to the final four. She would love nothing more than to go all the way in her final shot at it.
Millie is not an overly emotional person, but achieving that may elicit a tear or two. The Rebels have a large roster this year, one that includes a senior group of Claire Ogden, Marley Cowan, Kendall Roberts, Emma Falkner, Hill Hudlow, Ellie Mitchell and Caroline Stricklin.
“I’ve been really proud of us,” Millie said. “We all love each other so much.”
