DENVER – MSU Denver volleyball coach Jenny Glenn has announced the signing of Sophia Miller as a new team member through Team IMPACT.
 
Sophia, age 13, who has Dravet Syndrome, signed with the Roadrunners on Friday at a ceremony that included the volleyball team and coaching staff, MSU Denver mascot Rowdy, and Sophia's mother, Nichole.
 
"Working with Team Impact has been an incredible experience," Glenn said. "We are so fortunate to have Sophia and Nichole join our team and influence us as much as we hope to influence them. We are thankful for Team Impact and the way that they bring people together for a bigger purpose.  We always say that 'it is bigger than volleyball' and this relationship is the living action of that statement."
 
Sophia, from Aurora, Colo., will attend practices and matches this fall. She has or will participate in activities that include scavenger hunts and obstacle courses, and she loves any activity that involves a ball.
 
Dravet syndrome is classified as a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, which is part of a group of severe epilepsies with frequent and difficult to treat seizures and significant developmental delays. 
 
Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization, has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience.