photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Tessa Nover-Estes sets the ball in a 3-0 win over Shawnee Mission North on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Overland Park.

Free State volleyball senior setter Tessa Nover-Estes is a calming presence.

She stays steady at all times, and no matter what is happening on the volleyball court, she is never too high or too low.

There are moments, however, where her fiery competitive spirit lets itself loose after a big play, but then it’s right back to being stoic and focused.

“I get excited; I’m really competitive under it all,” Nover-Estes said. “I really want to win, and I have that drive, but I try to kind of stay steady for my teammates.”

That presence is a big requirement for being a setter. The position is often referred to as the “quarterback” of a volleyball team, making all the calls on the court and being the first to make adjustments.

The four-year starter for the Firebirds has had to improve on her leadership and voice throughout her career. She is forced to constantly communicate with up to three hitters at a time, as well as her back-row players, for the offense to run smoothly and efficiently.

“You have to learn that a voice is something that is really important and can help people not only respect you as a player, but understand you,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, I figured out how to communicate and how to communicate with people specifically to be able to get them because it’s a lot of learning personalities.”

One of the personalities that Nover-Estes has gotten to know over time is fellow senior Anniston Clark. The two have played together since their freshman year, both starting on varsity from the beginning, so their relationship has only continued to grow over time.

“Not only on the court (do) we have so much chemistry, we also have so much chemistry off the court,” Clark said. “We’re driving hours and hours each week in the car together to practice and whatnot, and going to team hangouts. So it’s just really important to have that kind of connection with each other.”

Leadership isn’t the only thing that stands out about Nover-Estes. Her play on the court speaks for itself, as she was named to the All-Sunflower League second team in her sophomore and junior seasons, and she was recently named to the AVCA High School All-America Watch List, along with Clark.

Nover-Estes’ statistics also reflect her level of play, as she surpassed 2,000 career assists in the first few matches of the season. In 19 matches this season, she is up to 445 assists, bringing her career total to 2,383 and counting.

What makes Nover-Estes’ play stand out on the court, however, is her ability to attack as well. During the club season, she plays both outside and opposite hitter along with setting, opening up many different tools within her game.

“The nice thing about Tessa is her ability to attack and take a swing if she’s not the one taking (the) second ball,” Free State head coach Joel Grillot said. “She’s actually pretty elite in that capacity; she just doesn’t get an opportunity to show it very often unless it’s a setter dump.”

The setter dump has become a big part of Nover-Estes’ game this season as she has recorded 75 kills (1.5 kills per set) and currently holds a .399 hitting percentage, something she wants to continue to improve upon each match. Not only is dumping a different look for opposing defenses, but it can then create offense for others.

“I think (dumping) makes it a lot more fun, too, for a setter,” Nover-Estes said. “It’s really important because dumping can draw the attention away from the other hitters, and so then if you throw a dump in, you can open up the net for other players.”

Nover-Estes’ biggest goal is to continue to build relationships with those around her, especially the underclassmen on the roster. She admitted that this was difficult at first, but it’s become more comfortable as the season has gone along.

“It’s hard because a lot of the time, they’re a little nervous to talk,” she said. “I don’t always want to be on them like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to talk,’ but I think that’s something that is helpful for them too, and they learn that helps them as a player.”

These numerous tools allowed her to get recruited from as early as freshman year. Now, Nover-Estes is committed to Division I Loyola Marymount University, located in Los Angeles.

“Coaches were a big thing,” she said. “I was looking for a mid-major, a good academic school, a good area, and just great coaches that felt like home. And right as I got there, they were so welcoming and so honest with me.”

The recruiting cycle wasn’t always easy for Nover-Estes, however, especially once coaches could start contacting her as a sophomore. This led to a lot of “sleepless nights,” constantly going on visits and camps, while also competing on the club circuit every weekend.

An important piece in helping her get through the recruiting cycle was her older sister, Myla, a former Free State volleyball player in her own right and now a standout at the University of Rochester, a Division III school in New York.

Anyone who knows the two sisters is very well aware that their personalities couldn’t be more different, as while Tessa is reserved and has a focused energy, Myla describes herself as loud and energetic.

Having already gone through her own recruiting process, Myla’s biggest piece of advice for her younger sister was to start early and be aggressive.

“She did a really good job of taking over, like taking some of the tips I gave her,” Myla said. “She was able to start a little earlier, just because we knew how everything worked, but I think she took that to the next level and was really proactive in her recruiting journey.”

What also makes the Nover-Estes sisters’ relationship a unique one is that they never actually crossed paths in their high school careers, as Myla graduated in 2023, leading the way for Tessa to enter the program the next fall.

“I’m a little sad that we never got to play together,” Myla said. “I think we would have done well, but it’s awesome to see her excel even more than I did in the same place. I just think it’s really fun that I was able to, so to speak, pave the way for her.”

As it stands right now, Tessa Nover-Estes and the Firebirds are 15-4 with a 6-1 record in Sunflower League play. With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the team’s biggest goal is to go back to the state tournament for the second straight year.

“We’re definitely hoping to make it to state, and I think we have a really good chance with how we’re going,” Tessa said. “We haven’t always done great in the past, but I feel like this year we can really, like, make a mark and kind of show people that we are growing as a team and a program.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Teammates surround Free State’s Tessa Nover-Estes after she scored a point in a volleyball jamboree at Gardner Edgerton High School on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in Gardner.