photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State's back-row defenders prepare for a serve in a 3-0 win over Shawnee Mission North on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Overland Park.

Free State volleyball’s middle and outside hitters have created a thunderous offense this year, dominating teams as the Firebirds have compiled an undefeated record.

But a big reason why they are able to have the offensive success they’ve had is the Free State defense, a deep group of back-row defenders who don’t just get under a serve but get good contact to set the offense up.

“It all starts with our serve receive,” Free State coach Joel Grillot said. “I think we do a good job on first contact with our serve receive, so that (senior setter) Tessa (Nover-Estes) is not running all over the place.”

Free State practices serve receive for 45 minutes each practice. It’s a crucial part of each play, to get the ball under control and under Nover-Estes at setter. Grillot said the Firebirds have a lot of weapons offensively, which allows them to be unique in their attacks, but it would all be moot if not for a strong defense to serve receive and make proper contact.

“It’s just that ability to cover the court and have a good understanding of what we’re doing defensively so that when the ball is falling across the net, we have an understanding of whose responsibility it is to go dig it up,” Grillot said. “If you can’t serve and pass, it makes the game really tough.”

The Firebirds are deep at defensive specialist, and have a libero in Brinley Whitney who took over the position as a freshman last year. The group has a lot of playing experience together from high school and club teams, which makes passing chemistry better.

Senior defensive specialist Marygrace Bradford has played a lot of volleyball with her Firebird teammates throughout her life. The reps she’s had throughout her career digging the ball to Nover-Estes have made the process natural.

“We do a lot of one-on-ones every single practice where we really practice that,” Bradford said. “I feel like just really knowing the girls really helps.”

It isn’t just the senior class who has chemistry with teammates. Whitney said the Firebirds have good communication, and that the team flows together well. Teams that pass the ball well are teams that win the most, and the Firebirds are a strong passing team.

“It’s a lot of discipline,” Whitney said. “You have to know to stay low and always try to put your hitters in the best position.”

Having as much depth as the team does makes internal competition strong. If someone is having a down game, someone else can come in and get the job done. But the Firebirds haven’t let that internal competition lead to friction on the team. Grillot said he’s seen a lot of leadership from the Firebirds, and not just from the senior class.

“Some of the girls are stepping up and having exceptional outings,” Grillot said. “They’re doing a good job of passing well. We have some players who have really started to take ownership because they want to be in.”

The Firebirds are in the meat of their schedule, with a tournament on Saturday before hosting a triangular on Monday. Free State will then get on the road for a Sunflower League match against Olathe Northwest.

Free State will need something from everyone on the roster in order to continue the success of the first two weeks of the season. The Firebirds push each other to be better, and they have a bond formed over years that helps them set their teammates up for success. It all starts with the back row.

“When one of us gets hype, we all get hype,” Bradford said. “It’s just flames of energy, and that really helps our team.”