Rilee Enns and Gentry Barker are similar in that they just completed their seasons as rare freshmen starters on their high school volleyball team.

Both 14-year-olds transformed into impact leaders – Enns a setter and Barker an outside. They’ll also be playing volleyball during the offseason, well the high school offseason since there truly is no “o. Enns plays for the Minnesota Select 15-1 team and Barker hasn’t decided if she will play club this season, possibly focusing only on beach volleyball.

Both on the way to becoming volleyball household names and both seem to have followed a similar path to their successful early-on careers. That has started with them focusing on themselves first and not being concerned with what others can do.

“My biggest challenge has been overcoming myself and getting in my head,” said Barker, who was named MVP of the Texas UIL Class 5A state tournament as her Lovejoy Leopards won their 10th title in program history. “I remember being intimidated coming in as a freshman, trying to not mess up, stay kind of low and not get on any bad side.

“I felt pressure but I had to focus on myself.”

Enns ran a 5-1 and accumulated more than 700 assists during the regular season (8.7 per set) at Legacy Christian Academy. While Barker was the Leopards’ “show-stopper” with massive kills, Enns ran the show and the floor for the Lions.

Before the season started, there was no guarantee they would make varsity, even though with those skills it was very likely. When the season was over, they were stars. But, it doesn’t always work out that way.

“I would tell them to try their best.” Enns said about players in a similar situation as she and Barker. “Even if they don’t make the team, it doesn’t define who you are. You are still getting to play volleyball.

“Biggest lesson is to focus on how I can play,” Enns said. “You might watch these teams and say oh wow, look at them but I try to just focus on how my team can play and how I can help out.”

Enns said it can be intimidating when you face a team and during warmups they are crushing the ball straight down with unbelievable force. They faced that during last club season against a Texas TAV club.

“They were much taller girls than we have and we didn’t think we’d get a ball past these hitters,” Enns said. “But we got some – you just have to focus on how we can play and not the other team.”

Ironically, Barker was on the other side of the net for this particular match.

As the high school season progressed and it became clear that Barker would be the go-to hitter on a team of stars, her leadership voice started being heard. It’s something she will carry moving forward into club, beach and later on with her goals to play Div I and pro beach volleyball

“At the beginning of the year, I was scared to speak up. I didn’t know where I stood, but once more comfy with the girls I realized I needed to speak up. We can’t just have a few people being loud. We have to keep pushing.”

When Enns isn’t sleeping, eating and breathing volleyball (she said she gets a lot of touches from wall work in her garage and has been seen using her volleyball as a pillow on long trips), she loves watching Nebraska volleyball, especially freshman setter Bergen Reilly.

“She’s just a great leader, someone who talking a lot, acts like they own the court and brings up their teammates.

“You can see her work ethic and how they practice and how much work they put in. I’m going to keep working at being a leader, showing my teammates I can be there for them, and run a fast offense to all the pins.”

Henry Miller

12/7/2023