Lady Tigers volleyball star Ella Harris leads by example

By Don Lowe

Lamar Lady Tigers senior standout volleyball player

Ella Harris will be counted on heavily for big things on and off the court as she concludes her terrific high school career this year.

“While I’ve only had her for one season at this point, I can say that Ella has made a lot of improvement as a leader,” Lamar Volleyball Head Coach Chelsie Griffin lauds Harris’ importance to the program. “Ella’s teammates look to her for leadership and guidance, which is something we need with only two returning seniors.”

It’s clear Harris has a passion for playing volleyball and she says, “Watching the older girls made me want to compete.

“I like the combination of individual strengths as well as seeing the team coming together to be successful and having fun while doing so. I also like the combination of athletic ability from each teammate and our strategy as a team to compete well.”

Harris, who stars as an outside hitter and defensive specialist for the Lady Tigers, explains the challenges to playing her position successfully are “having good chemistry between the setter and the hitter, while hitting around the blockers and being smart with ball placement.”

As far as assessing her own skillset, Harris says “having the ability to see the open court around blockers and having the correct timing and being able to run different types of hits” are keys to success.

Coach Griffin says, “Ella is good at reading the court and adjusting to make the best possible play when she gets the set.

“She sees the openings when the ball comes to her and is also always communicating with her teammates to let them know where the best play is at. Ella’s also gotten stronger as a hitter and blocker throughout the year.”

Harris says her greatest improvement is with “my ability and strategy in being able to read opposing teams, my leadership skills

Lamar Lady Tigers Senior Volleyball Star

Ella Harris Fast Facts

Age: 17

Grade in School: 12th

Parents: Zach and Lindsay Harris

Siblings: Noah and Jude Harris

Hometown: Lamar, Missouri

Favorite Subjects in School: English and Art

Favorite Food: Chicken Fried Steak

Favorite College Volleyball

Player: Graduated Texas Lady Longhorns star Zoe Fleck

Favorite Sports Movie: Happy Gilmore

Accolades: District Honorable Mention performer in 21 as well as 16th in the state in aces and a four-year letterman and the desire to work with different players and coaches to have a successful season individually and together.”

Harris has proven to shine bright as a magnificent member of Lamar’s volleyball squad for several seasons and the way she’s carried herself in displaying terrific athletic ability and achieving success in studies is a standard future Lady Tigers should aspire to for themselves.

“Ella is a positive leader on and off the court,” Coach Griffin says. “She excels in the classroom, and school comes first, which makes her a great example for other student-athletes.

“She is also positive on the court and tries to keep herself motivated. As a player, she loves the game of volleyball, and it shows. She is always wanting to learn and try new things, which is fun to see and work with as her coach.”