Industrious Miller Banks on China Trip

Liz Miller is one of those people who has a yen for doing her own thing, but she will need yuan to do it where she’s going.

Miller, along with the Fresno Pacific College women’s volleyball team, will leave for Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China on Sunday for 11 days of shopping, sightseeing and, oh, yes, volleyball.

“I’m going there for the experience. I’m going there for the fun,” said Miller, who played at Royal High last season.

But it took a lot of capitalistic know-how for Miller to put together enough money to travel to the communist country. Miller asked local businesses for contributions, worked at a carwash and even sold serves in a serve-a-thon to raise the $1,700 she needed for the trip.

But with the decision to travel to China came the realization that Miller would be missing a major state tournament. And not only would Miller have to raise $1,700 in two months but she would be losing the nearly $1,000 she had invested in a local club team that will be playing in Davis while Miller is in China.

“It really was a big choice,” said Miller, a 5-foot, 10-inch middle blocker who has received a half-scholarship to attend Fresno Pacific this fall.

“I’m paying all this money to go to Davis to play in this tournament to go to nationals, and, at first my mom said, ‘No. We’ve paid all this money, you’re going to go there, you’re going to play and you’re going to do good.’ ”

Miller’s decision became easier when she realized that she could travel to China and still attend the last two days of the California tournament. But even if she could not make it to Davis for the final days, Miller decided she preferred the South China Sea to the San Joaquin Valley.

“It just seemed a little more important to go to China than to go to Davis,” she said.