Essner plays vocal role for Scott City volleyball

SCOTT CITY -- Stephanie Essner is a bit of a talker.

Whether it's on the court or in the huddle during a timeout, chances are the Scott City junior rarely will close her mouth during a volleyball match.

"She always has something to say," Rams junior Brooke Simpson said. "Normally it's good. She's a good person. Usually it's sarcastic comments. It's usually random."

Essner serves as the team's sparkplug, providing needed motivation during matches. She's helped the Scott City volleyball team reach its first Class 2 final four. The Rams begin pool play against Ash Grove at 10 a.m. Friday.

"She's very vocal on the floor," Rams coach Haley Jennings said. "She's very talkative and always a team player. She'll be the first one to go say, 'It's OK. Shake it off. Let's play.'"

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comScott City junior Stephanie Essner has played a key role as a hitter and leader for the Rams, who will be playing in the Class 2 final four Friday and Saturday in Kansas City. A multi-sport athlete, Essner is the reigning 400-meter champion in Class 2.

In fact, Jennings leans on Essner to provide a word of encouragement during a match to avoid burning a timeout. Essner almost serves as a coach on the floor.

"I can say, 'Hey Stephanie, tell her this,' and she's like, 'OK, got it,'" Jennings said. "She's such an intense player. She gets so excited over every point and that just spreads. Volleyball is very much a momentum sport. She gets the girls fired up and keeps them that way."

Essner said she took on the role as a vocal leader when she played setter in the seventh grade. Even though she's moved to hitter, she didn't stop offering words of encouragement.

"I'm always trying to help people if I see something," she said. "Usually it's like I'm trying to help them."

Essner's motivational techniques aren't limited to her words. Simpson said that while Essner has plenty to say, she also motivates the team with her actions.

"Now that we've grown up together, I know she's insane," Simpson said of Essner. "In practice, we do dances. We made up interpretive dances and songs. It gets our team pumped up.

"She's very verbal. She doesn't mind telling others what she thinks. She doesn't care what they think. If you need to know something, she'll let you know."

The interesting thing about Essner's role on the volleyball team is that volleyball isn't her favorite sport. In fact, she ranks it third.

"It's always been track and basketball," she said. "Volleyball, I just enjoy it."

She started running track when she was 4 years old, and picked up basketball in the third grade. She began her volleyball career in middle school, and considered giving it up when she entered high school because she planned to play basketball and softball while running track.

But she changed her mind and stuck with volleyball. Part of her decision to continue playing volleyball was that the sport came naturally to her.

"On passing, I'm pretty quick with that," she said. "Serving, there really isn't much to that. Jumping, I have the ability to jump. I did long jump for a long time, so the ability to jump is there. With Brooke, she knows where to put the ball. ... I just get up and hit the ball as hard as I can."

Essner has put down 97 kills this season, which Jennings said can be attributed to Essner's impressive athleticism.

"Her jumping is just out of control," Jennings said. "Saturday, when we were at Clearwater, there was a ball that was out of bounds, past the antenna, and she jumped and pulled it back into the court. Her jumping ability is amazing."

Essner will bring her athleticism to the state tournament, but she'll also enjoy a mental edge. She's performed at the state level before, and has the hardware to prove it. She won the 400 meters at last season's Class 2 state track meet, and finished second in the 200. She'll draw on her experience at the state level to help her this weekend in Kansas City.

"I know that it's very important," she said. "Already winning one, you don't want to have a big head."

She's looking forward to enjoying the state experience with her teammates. She said the feeling of competing with a team is different from what she experienced after qualifying in an individual sport.

"In track, if you don't cross the finish line first, it's your fault," she said. "If you don't train hard enough and don't get the right time, that's your fault.

"As a team, you have to jell. It's awesome to win as an individual because you know how hard you've worked. But to work as hard as we have all together and gelled like that, it's awesome to know that a team like this, with seven girls, can go to state."

Away from sports, Essner enjoys spending time with her family and hanging out with friends. She loves funny movies -- especially ones with Adam Sandler -- and some scary movies, although she admits she's kind of a wimp about them.

But mostly Essner devotes her time to sports. She'll turn her attention to basketball once volleyball is over, then start worrying about defending her state title in the 400. Even when she needs to relax, she turns to sports.

"Outside all the sports, I do like to run by myself," she said. "I like to take that time and do that by myself and clear my mind."