By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
Pam Ellis is seeking to make the most of an already impressive stint during her time as a player with the Hanna Lady Golden Eagles.
Atop her list is a desire to recreate familiar memories with a return to the postseason, while her coach looks ahead and sees a future for her at the next level.
Ellis learned to play and love volleyball at Vela Middle School, and upon becoming a Lady Eagles, quickly took a big step forward in her game. She started on the varsity team as a freshman outside hitter and is now in her third season, where she has become a dominant middle blocker for Hanna.
Coach Ansgar Hagemann has been with her since she started and noted the consistent growth Ellis has displayed both as a leader and an athlete.
“This year she can shoulder the weight of leading a team,” he said. “Last year, she had to go through that phase where she had to be seen as a leader from her teammates, and she’s completed that stage.
“She really gives us stability and momentum when we need it,” he said.
It was during her freshman season when Ellis experienced her favorite moment to date as a Lady Eagles player.
“My best memory is from freshman year, when we first made it to the playoffs and went to the third round,” she said. “My goal is to make it back and win the district championship.”
It appears Ellis will get her wish and have a chance to do just that. Hanna sits comfortably in third place in District 32-6A on the season.
Though Ellis’s primary focus is on making a return journey to the playoffs, a place from which Hanna is one year removed, Hagemann is thinking about the bigger picture.
“I expect that she will be playing college ball,” he said. “She’d be ready to basically play anywhere on the court.
“I know that’s one of her goals in life, and we think she has a great chance.”
Ellis is only a junior, so she has plenty of time remaining to enjoy high school. But if her skills continue to trend in a positive direction, a long career in volleyball likely awaits.
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.