Morgan Bergren working hard to be the best

Drop by Muncie Frozen Custard and you might be surprised to find out that the young lady serving your frozen treat is one of the top setters in the country. Then again, surprising people has become commonplace for Morgan Bergren.

When Bergren isn't serving up frozen custard, she's making passes to her volleyball teammates at Delta (Muncie, Ind.). According to her coach, Heidi Zickgraf, Morgan has worked hard to become one of the nation's best.

"Morgan is someone who wants to win, bottom line," said Zickgraf. "She has put a lot of time in to become the player she is today and that has paid off for her."

That hard work paid off this summer when Bergren led the Munciana 18U AAU team to the national championships. For her efforts, Bergren was named the tournament MVP.

"It was very exciting and the best experience ever," said Bergren. "I had much to learn since it was my first year on a team of this caliber with a great coach and I didn't think I played that well. Luckily I was surrounded by amazing teammates and they helped me look better than I thought I was."

Zickgraf says that the type of talent Bergren displayed this summer finds its roots in the performance she put together in the Indiana state championship tournament her freshman year.

"In 2008, Morgan was a freshman setter who had not had any high level setting experience," said Zickgraf. "Our team made it to the state semifinals and Morgan was absolutely amazing. She was in total control of the match the entire time. That is when I knew she was going to be successful and accomplish many things in her future."

Delta went on to win the state championship that year, a feat Bergren feels confident that her team can accomplish again this year.

"I don't have any doubts that we can be state champs," she said. "We are a tight-knit group this year and we play with a lot of heart that we have never really shown in the past."

Delta, a 3A school, is in the middle of an 18-9 season that includes losses to some of the top teams in the state, including 2A Muncie Burris and two losses to Hoosier Heritage rival Yorktown.

"Yorktown is our toughest competition," she said. "They are always our rivals and always very talented all the way around."

Bergren has 469 assists on the season and 127 kills, however she focuses less on statistics and more on her team's performance.

"I just play the best I can and hope that I have what it takes to help my team win," she said. "My personal stats don't mean that much to me."

A member of an athletic family, Bergren's father played hockey and her grandfather played baseball at Ball State. Her younger sister is also a setter for Delta.

"One of the best things about high school volleyball is playing with my sister," said Bergren.

A 6-foot setter with great hands and net skills, according to her coach, Bergren can play anywhere on the court.

"She has great ball control with her passing and defense so she could play any position," said Zickgraf. "She is an amazing setter who can attack the ball anywhere on the court and run your team at the same time."

Despite having great natural skills, Bergren has put in a lot of hard work to become better.

"It's all about reps. My club coach Mike Lingenfelter works daily with me on my setting skills during the club season," said Bergren. "My advice is to constantly work on your skills. You have to continue learning and continue practicing and you can always get better at a skill. You can never be in the gym too much."

Bergren will be heading out of state to continue her volleyball career. She has given a verbal commitment to play at the University of Kentucky.

"It was so much fun seeing all the different schools," said Bergren. "The hardest thing for me was telling Cathy George at Michigan State that I couldn't accept her offer. I want to be a pharmacist and they had no pharmacy school.

"I am super excited about playing at the Division I level and ready for the challenges that come with it."