Elly Callihan graduated from Berry College as the Vikings’ all-time rebound leader.
Callihan is a 2022 Gilmer High graduate who worked her way into the starting lineup as a freshman at Berry and never looked back. She battled nagging injuries throughout her career and still managed a pair of all-conference selections, as well as two honorable mentions while eclipsing 1,000 career points.
Heading into her final season, head coach Thomas Johnson discussed the need for Callihan to expand her role on the team.
“I feel like I was relied on a lot more than I had been in past years just because we lost a lot of seniors my junior year,” Callihan said. “For my senior year, we had a lot of young players come in and others who had minimal playing experience at that level. So, leadership-wise, my role changed. I had to step up and I had to be a leader, which is something that I’ve always struggled with, especially vocally. I’m just not a big vocal leader, and I like to lead with my actions.
“That was a big role that changed for me, as my team was relying on me. I had to kind of come out of my shell and get used to those leadership roles I had to take on.”
She started 26 games during her senior season and helped the Vikings to a 16-11 record. They lost to Trinity University, Texas, in the second round of the Southern Athletic Association’s tournament.
Callihan was voted to the All-SAA second team and was also on the all-academic team. She became Berry’s all-time rebound leader with 666. As a senior, she scored 308 points and led the Vikings with 53 steals and 13 blocks. She scored 20 points and pulled down 15 rebounds versus Brevard College.
“When I came to Berry, I had minimal to no defensive skills at all,” Callihan said when asked how her game evolved. “I always hated defense in high school. When I came in, Coach Johnson told me, ‘If you don’t play defense, you don’t play.’ And so I got in the gym and worked on defense on my own for a long time until I was able to get into the lineup. That’s what he looked for ... defensive players.
“I was really trying for defensive player of the year in our conference. I didn’t get it, but that was something that I was really trying for. I see now why defense is so important in ball games.”
Callihan’s prospects of surpassing 1,000 career points took a turn when she injured her meniscus in the middle of conference play. This was in addition to a torn hip labrum, which plagued her all four years.
“I was wearing a knee brace and hip brace and looked like a robot out there,” Callihan said with a laugh. “The trainer brought the doctor in, and they said they didn’t think I should play, and that my body was literally breaking. I had to play, and not playing was never an option.”
Callihan noted her teammates became her best friends, which made life on and off the court much easier. She also credits Johnson for his support as a coach and mentor.
“I loved my time at Berry. Looking back now, when I first got there in my freshman year, I never thought I would have made it to where I am now,” Callihan said. “But because of my teammates, because of my coaches, and really because of the game of basketball, it’s what kept me there. I don’t regret a single second of anything I did.”
Callihan is set for her first year in education, and she is back in Ellijay. Along with sister Emma Callihan, they will coach the junior varsity basketball team at GHS. She will also serve as an assistant volleyball coach. She will teach first grade at Clear Creek Elementary, and her classroom is next to Emma’s.
“I’m really, really excited. We just started our first week of summer ball. I’m coaching with Emma, so that’s just great,” Callihan said. “We’ve been working a lot just this week, and the players are catching on fast. Coach (David) Dowse is an amazing coach, and he’ll get them where they need to be. You can just tell they want to play.
“I was kind of scared that I would not enjoy it as much just because I came from a college where I played, then you go back down to high school and you’re like, ‘Oh, Lord.’ But it’s been a lot of fun, and these girls work so hard and it’s really fun to get to know them as players.”
Callihan credits basketball for helping mold her into the person she has become. She plans to impart that wisdom and knowledge on the next generation of Lady Cats.
“Basketball is so much more than a sport. It teaches you about life. You work as a team, it teaches you how to communicate and teaches you how to push through things both mentally and physically. It teaches you that even when you don’t want to do it anymore and you’re tired and things stink and you’re hurting, you have to do it anyway," Callihan said.
“Even if they don’t score a single point in their entire high school career, if they come out of basketball learning lessons about life, I’m good with that.”