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Ellie Marble was thankful for a “real season” this fall after the 2020 volleyball schedule was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, replaced by a shorter, modified spring campaign.

It was only fitting, then, that the La Conner High junior outside hitter would emerge as the real deal in a real season that saw Marble and her teammates do something really special – go undefeated and win the State 2B Tournament without dropping a single set in Yakima.

Along the way Marble recorded her 1,000th career kill and helped lead La Conner to a 22-0 mark, including triumphs over several 1A-4A schools.

As a result, Marble last week was named the Skagit Valley Herald Volleyball Player of the Year.

In November she had been voted the NW2B/1B Most Valuable Player.

Statistics alone don’t measure the full extent of Marble’s brilliance on the court this season. But they are certainly indicative of her dominance.

Consider that Marble delivered 521 kills, served 77 aces, collected 491 digs and recorded 26 assists.

Those numbers reinforce Marble’s well-earned reputation for doing whatever it takes and assuming whichever role is needed to give La Conner – which last lost a match at the 2017 state tourney – the edge it needs to come out on top.

“To be honest,” she told the Herald’s Vince Richardson last week, “I hate to lose. I am just so competitive and it’s not always about the big hit. It’s just about getting the point any way you can, no matter what.”

Winning is something Marble most enjoys sharing with her teammates – especially La Conner’s seniors.

“I’m really proud of the fact our seniors got to win state,” Marble said in her interview with Richardson, stressing disappointment that the pandemic restricted the 2021 La Conner High senior group to a brief five-week spring season limited to league matches.

Marble’s Herald honor, unlike the NW2B/1B recognition, covers school districts in the county.

At the time of her Herald award selection, Marble had already begun playing a key role on the school basketball team, which opened its season last week by sweeping non-league games against 1A and 2A foes.

The change of seasons was apropos, though, as Marble’s selection as the region’s top volleyball player was nothing short of a slam dunk.