Elly Callihan performed on and off the basketball court at Berry College.
The 2022 Gilmer High alum ended her freshman year as one of 200 Viking athletes who were named to the Southern Athletic Association’s academic honor roll. She cracked the starting lineup on the court, and her efforts were recognized with an All-SAA honorable mention.
“I couldn’t ask for a better team or a better coach (Thomas Johnson),” said Callihan. “They are so supportive of everything, and they’re all good girls. Berry is small (2,250 undergrads), and you kind of know everybody. They did a really good job of helping me adapt.”
Making the adjustment from high school athletics to the NCAA DIII level took a little time, and college conditioning was a bit of an eye opener for Callihan. Morning workouts started at 5 a.m. and punctuality was paramount.
“It was very hard to adapt to, especially those early mornings,” she said. “Our coach says, ‘If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. And if you’re late, you’re being selfish.’ So we were all on the track at 4:45 every morning. Once you get into the season, you don’t do early mornings so it’s a little easier, and you get to know your teammates a little better.”
Academics were sometimes strained because of Callihan’s basketball schedule. The team was often gone for a week at a time during the season and multiple classes were missed.
She said, “It was difficult but worth it,” and with the help of the academic support staff, she achieved a 3.4 grade point average while taking core classes in early-childhood education.
Callihan noted her preseason was cut short because of complications with a previous injury. Her on-court knowledge and growth was briefly stifled as she could only watch from the sideline.
“As a freshman, I’m thinking, ‘I’m never going to get into the lineup because I’m a month behind and two games behind,’” she said. “My teammates really helped me and pushed me. When I started getting healthy, I thought I’d have a good chance of playing.”
Getting on the court and staying there are two vastly different things. Johnson emphasizes defense to a heavy degree, and the first 90 minutes of each practice were spent honing just that. No level of offensive ability is enough for those who do not put forth effort on the defensive end, according to Callihan.
She took the court at several positions throughout the year. Callihan handled the ball in the early season and also played in the post. Toward the end of the season, she settled into a more consistent spot.
“I didn’t play as much in the beginning as I did in the end,” she said. “I think he was trying to figure out where he wanted to put me, so he ended up putting me in the post.”
Callihan played a minute in her first game against Huntingdon College and logged 16 total minutes through three games. She was on the court for 21 minutes in game six versus Guilford College. Callihan hit double-digit scoring for the first time with 11 points when the Vikings met Brevard College in their seventh game of the season.
As the year progressed, Callihan’s impact on games did as well. The Vikings run a pick-and-roll offense, and Callihan was typically setting the screen. She had a variety of ways to attack, which included shooting a jump shot or driving to the basket against a shorter guard if the defenders switched.
“I think I found myself most successful when I was getting the pass back off that screen,” she said. “Once I got the ball, I had an outside shot if I wanted because they were guarding me to drive.”
Callihan played in 22 of 27 games and became a starter when the Vikings returned from Christmas break. That marked the beginning of their SAA schedule, and Callihan’s minutes increased significantly.
“It was rewarding becoming a starter,” she said. “When you get to college, all of the people have about the same amount of talent as you do so it was hard to keep that spot. A lot of people at my position got hurt or were sick, and it was time for me to step up. I had to play my game, and I had to play defense.”
Callihan eclipsed 15 points five times. Her best offensive games came in February. Versus Birmingham Southern College, she scored a season-high 23 points to go with 16 rebounds in the Vikings’ 86-74 win. However, the first half did not go well as she missed multiple wide-open looks after the Vikings beat the press.
“In the beginning of that game, I was probably having the worst game of my life. They’re a tough team to play against because they’re all run and gun. I hate playing against them. They don’t play defense and want as many offensive possessions as they can have,” she said.
“I was very frustrated with myself, and in the second quarter, my coach pulled me out and he let me have it. I’d never been yelled at before by him. He put me back in after halftime and something just clicked for me.”
A week later against regular season champion Centre College, Callihan put up 21 points and snatched five steals. She was on the court for 42 minutes, and the Vikings came out on top, 58-53.
“One of the biggest things I learned this year is that I’ve got to use my length. I’m very long, and my coach pushed me to use that length. I think that really helped my game,” Callihan said.
“My defense is probably where I improved the most because I was never a defensive player, ever. I do not like defense, but once he said ‘if you don’t play defense, then you don’t play,’ I had to flip that switch.”
Centre got its revenge in the SAA tournament and eliminated Berry in overtime, 65-59.
The Vikings finished the season with a 16-11 overall record and an 8-6 mark versus SAA opponents. Callihan averaged 8.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She blocked 17 shots, recorded 34 steals and shot 72 percent from the free-throw line. She plans to keep working on her game over the offseason so she can hold on to her starting position.
“This upcoming season, we have a lot of new girls coming in with a lot of talent,” Callihan said. “I’ve really got to work for my spot. My thing is, I need to keep doing what I’ve been taught. With things I need to work and improve on, I’ll work on that through the summer. I’m looking forward to getting back with my teammates because I love playing basketball there.”
Berry’s season begins Nov. 6 in Atlanta against Georgia State University.