No doubt heading into the 4A state volleyball tournament, Century was one of the favorites to win it.

    The Diamondbacks, after all, had taken the past three crowns. Were they a shoe-in to win a fourth? Maybe not — everyone knew Goliath could be beaten. District rival Bonneville did it in the regular season when the Bees came to Pocatello and clobbered Century at home in straight sets.

    So when the Diamondbacks fell to Skyview in the second round at state, those that doubted the three-time champs had even more leverage.

    But Century didn’t care. And on the shoulders of junior outside hitter Kayla Ellis, the Diamondbacks shot venom at each team in their way: Twin Falls in four sets, Sandpoint in three, Skyview in four and Bonneville in two matches. Century did it all on the way to its fourth straight state title.

    It might be a stretch to say Ellis’ presence, her dominance, her guidance was the deciding factor. Just look at the D-back roster and you’ll know its stacked with talent. But it isn’t hard to say Ellis made things easier. She was the Idaho State Journal’s volleyball player of the year last season based on her numbers. She earns the same recognition now, but adds grit, leadership and growth to the list of reasons why.

    Yes, Ellis’ numbers in 2013 were astronomical. The junior shattered her own figures from her sophomore season with 647 kills (591 in 2012) and 559 digs (411 in 2012). But the gauntlet Ellis led the Diamondbacks through in 2013 was the cherry on top an already brilliant season.

    And from the first day of the tournament to the last when the Diamondbacks hoisted the trophy, Ellis was the same. In each of the seven matches in the two-day tournament, Ellis didn’t let up. From swing to swing to crushing swing, the junior was unstoppable.

    “One of the things that required was a tremendous amount of stamina,” said Century head coach Pauline Thiros. “To have to swing at that many balls, and … she was just as good swinging at them at the end of the day as she was early in the day. She remained explosive and just somehow physically never let up.

    “She would still be your person nine sets into that day — nine hard sets into that day.”

    But the Diamondbacks didn’t just rely on Ellis’ howitzer arm. They didn’t just look to Ellis to nab hard-hit digs. They relied on her to help lead. She was one of their crutches, and after being bounced into the losers’ bracket, she was a big one.

    “I just had to stay calm and keep my team at a really constant level,” Ellis said. “After that loss (to Skyview), we could have just lay down and died and just not come back. But it kind of lit a fire under us, and I had to really just lead my team and step up. … We all just came together as a team.”

    It’s why Ellis is great to have on your side of the net. She didn’t just show her ability to lift a team. She showed her reliability. It’s been a trait Ellis has developed her entire playing career.

    Ellis has one more year to stuff even more accolades, honors and championships into her resume before she ships off to play libero for Oregon State. But as long as she continues to play her game her way, Ellis’ skill will speak for itself.

    “You can depend on her on the floor,” Thiros said. “Part of what makes her a great teammate is that you know you’re confident in what she’s going to do. She’s going to create good contacts for the next player to work with, (and) when you set her she’s probably going to take care of the ball.”