Athlete Spotlight
Dallas Tranum couldn't have scripted her final game on her home court any better.
Evans High School's Dallas Tranum dives for a ball during a match against Greenbrier.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Tranum, a senior on the Evans volleyball team, played in the Evans gymnasium for the last time Thursday night in the team's final home game of the season.
She said she had hoped for a win, but was nervous because Greenbrier, a team that had already defeated Evans twice this year, was on the other side of the net.
"I had butterflies," Tranum said.
She certainly didn't show it. Tranum, the team's lone starting senior, led the Lady Knights to an impressive 2-0 sweep over Greenbrier 25-15, 25-20.
The Lady Wolfpack barely had time to warm up before Evans mounted an 11-4 lead in the first game. Greenbrier closed the Evans advantage to four points at 15-11, but the Lady Knights eventually took the first game with a 25-15 win.
The second game saw Greenbrier wake up long enough to force a 7-7 tie, but Evans reclaimed the lead and earned the 25-20 victory.
"I'm overwhelmed," Tranum said after the game. "It's what we've been trying to do all season. This is the best experience of my senior year."
Not bad for a girl who hadn't touched a volleyball until two years ago.
Tranum started off her high school career as a soccer player. During her sophomore year, she gave volleyball a try.
"I always need athletes," Evans head coach CeCe Armstrong said. "When she came to tryouts that day, the athlete in her showed up."
That athlete was good enough to make the junior varsity team. Midway through the season, Armstrong realized Tranum's potential. After playing the sport for less than a year, Tranum was promoted to the varsity squad.
"I've tried every other sport," Tranum said. "I love volleyball the most."
Now in her third season, Tranum said she is proud of how far she and her teammates have come.
"Our team goal is to be more united," she said. "As the year went on, we did become one huge team."
The team started winning, too. Evans has earned a share of the Region 2-AAAA regular season championship.
The Lady Knights finished the regular season with a 6-2 record after beating both Lakeside and Greenbrier. Evans will have one final battle against Lakeside, also at 6-2 in the region, and Greenbrier, 5-2 with one region game to play, for the Region 2-AAAA Tournament Title this weekend.