Whether it is pumping up her teammates after a mistake, or being one of the first to congratulate a teammate after a goal, Kayla Mueller has been a leader on and off the field for the Virginia Commonwealth field hockey team.

Mueller, a 2010 graduate of Parkland, has seen an increased amount of playing time her first two years on the campus of VCU. The junior is looked at as a leader and a great teammate.

"Off the field I just want to be a good teammate and cheer everyone on," said Mueller. "Being on the field, I've been able to contribute a lot by just making good passes, preparing everyone for games, and just being a disciplined teammate. I'm someone that will pick up someone and get them back into a groove."

Mueller scored a goal during her freshman campaign and played in the opening win against Missouri State. The Rams have opened up the 2012 season at 6-0. Mueller is used to success. She helped lead Parkland to a 2009 run to the PIAA semifinals.

"That was one of my best years playing field hockey, team wise," said Mueller. "Because the years before, we were never expected to make it that far. Just being able to experience something like that is really life changing. We just worked so hard that year and definitely deserved to make it as far as we did that year."

That special year, plus the exposure she got playing for her club teams at WC Eagles Hockey Club, provided the Division I scholarship. Mueller was also a two-time PIAA All-State selection in 2008 and 2009.

"The transition wasn't that hard," said Mueller on moving from high school to college. "Obviously playing in college, especially Division I, is more demanding than in high school. Being at a good program like Parkland definitely prepared me. Also, my club teams helped with the fast pace of the games. The hardest part was switching from grass to turf, because at Parkland we played on grass. It's such a faster game on turf."