DUFUR – Just looking at all the fresh faces reminded Tianna Ellis of the good old days when she was a young pup learning the ropes on the volleyball court.
The Dufur senior is the wily veteran lending tidbits of wisdom to her fledgling brethren.
“I am used to having a lot of older girls around me,” Ellis said. “It is new for me, being called a leader, but I am just doing what my old teammates did for me. I just tell the younger girls to keep working hard and not to give up.”
Ellis, a first-team all-league player in 2014, notched 67 aces on an 88.7 percent serve-success rate and chipped in 67 digs.
Offensively, she finished third on the team with 70 kills.
The veteran has two sophomores, two juniors and five freshmen on the varsity squad for first-year head coach Jody Weaver.
In three matches so far, the Rangers are 1-2 overall – the last match, a three-game sweep by scores of 25-17, 25-18 and 25-15 over Cove on Aug. 28 in Dufur.
Dufur served at a 90 percent clip with eight aces and they totaled 21 kills from seven different players. That match gave Weaver a good glimpse at the winning attitude this team possesses.
“I am super-excited about the season. We have a lot of great girls. They have shown a lot of hard work, effort and heart in every practice,” Weaver said. “They are young and they want to work and get better, so that’s a good start for this team.”
Last season, the Lady Rangers posted a 28-5 record and finished 6-0 in Big Sky Conference play on their ways to a District 6-1A championship and a 1A state volleyball runner-up finish.
Dufur lost two all-state players to graduation, but have Emily DePriest, Chloe Beeson, Alexus Outlaw, Kayla Bailey, Karaline Johnson, Sydnee Byers and Sydney Reed on the roster.
In her first season as a setter last year, Reed posted a team-high 511 assists, 123 digs, 12 kills and a blocked shot.
On a Ranger team that converted 91.6 percent of their serves, Reed made good on 89.8 percent and finished second with 69 aces.
The junior all-league winner said there is a pressure to the spot as setter, but said she is ready to keep the offense moving for her big guns.
“I have to be more accurate with my sets and communicate with my hitters because each hitter is different,” Reed said. “There is a pressure to the position because I want to do my best to make every pass perfect. This year, I am going to try to refocus myself with every point, leave it on the court and do whatever it takes to help my team.”
As one of a handful of returning players Reed has been thrust into a leadership role, which is a new experience as well.
She said it is important for team to keep battling and in order to get to the next level.
With a young group on the roster, she said everyone needs to be willing to not only play their main position, but also be willing to move around and help the team win.
“Whatever coach wants, you come in and give it 100 percent,” Reed said. “Being on a team takes commitment and sacrifice. If you can do that, everyone will be better. I see that in a lot of girls because we have a goal to win state.”
Dufur took second place in 2014, placed third in state in 2013 and has qualified for the tournament three of the last four years.
The Rangers also won the Big Sky Conference District title last season for the first time since 2007.
With a new coach and an influx of young, talented players playing for a new coach, 2015 is a new era and the soldiers Weaver has in place will breathe in new life for a Dufur team that has championship aspirations.
With Reed setting the table for Ellis, DePriest, Beeson and others, the focus of Weaver is on improving the offense, especially given the team’s lack of height.
“I am not saying that we have to be able to hammer the ball to the floor, just that we have to give the other team something to work with besides off-hits, down balls and chips all the time,” Weaver said. “We are going to have to play some outstanding defensive games and give the other teams as much offense as we possibly can.”
For a team that has won three matches in the past two seasons, it all comes down to attitude, togetherness and a will to fight.
Ellis and her teammates have a look in their eyes that expresses a desire to win and to work hard and compete.
“It is a matter of us just trying to have a completely different mindset,” Ellis said. “We know we can do a lot better this year, so we are trying to have a good mental approach to the game. We are just trying to work harder in practice and do the best we can so we can do good in our games.”
Dufur hosts the Ranger Jamboree starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at Dufur High School.
After that, the Rangers travel to Heppner to take on the 2A Mustangs at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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