In just two short years, Dowagiac junior Anne Ennesser has gone from a novice playing volleyball to one of the Chieftains’ top players, being noticed by college coaches.

“She is developing,” Dowagiac coach Vince Strefling said. “She had a great club season under my wife and she is one of the reasons why I came here. She is a Division 1 talent and has quite a few colleges looking at her.”

The Chieftains have struggled through the first half of their season as Strefling, in his first year, has been trying to figure out what would work best.

He may have hit on something last week because Dowagiac installed a new offense the day before playing Coloma. After some early struggles adjusting to the new offense, the Chieftains rolled over the Comets in straight sets.

Ennesser had little trouble making the adjustment as it plays to her strengths and gives her options at the net.

As a result, she had 19 kills against Coloma and three blocks.

Both Stefling and Ennesser see better days ahead for Dowagiac.

“She is our main offense,” he said. “Everybody we play has that girl we have kind of been searching for and I knew it was there. Now that we are getting her the ball more instead of just running out of the middle, she is doing well.”

Ennesser said she has gone from a player who really wasn’t sure she liked volleyball to one that now loves the sport after spending time playing on a club team.

“I was terrible. I didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t even know if I liked volleyball,” she said. “But once I stepped on a club court I loved it. I want to play every day. I want to work hard every day and I want to go and practice every day. I just love it so much now.”

She enjoys the new offense the Chieftains are running.

“Love to hit outside,” Ennesser said. “That is my favorite position. I got a lot more kills tonight because of this new offense so I am thankful that we did it and it works.”

Ennesser said that her goal is to play Division 1 volleyball, hopefully at Valparaiso University.

“I am so excited,” she said. “My dream right now is to get a scholarship full ride to Valparaiso or any other Division 1 school. That’s my goal and I am going to stick to it.”

Ennesser and the Chieftains had a big weekend at the River Valley Invitational as they came in second. Ennesser finished with 58 kills and eight blocks.

Dowagiac will get to test out its new offense again today as they host Cassopolis, which defeated the Chieftains in the River Valley championship match. The varsity match is scheduled to begin at approximately 6 p.m.