Boulder City’s Frantz has Eagles volleyball all set

Avalon Frantz didn't play volleyball until eighth grade. She figured basketball or soccer would be her passion at Boulder City High School.

"But stepping on the court as a freshman, there was just something special and different about volleyball," Frantz said. "Then I played club, and every camp I went to, I really enjoyed playing. It's not work to play; I just love it."

The Eagles love the fact that Frantz decided to focus on volleyball, as the junior has blossomed into one of the top setters in the state at any level.

Setters are required to be quick thinkers who control the tempo of a match while running an offense. Frantz, who carries a 4.4 weighted cumulative grade-point average, fits the blueprint perfectly.

"You are the quarterback of the offense and you run the offense," she said. "You have to be in charge of your hitters at all times. You decide who's hitting that ball and when, so it's an important leadership role. That's why I love being the setter."

Frantz last year set Boulder City season records for assists (642) and aces (111). She was voted Class 3A second-team all-state after leading the Eagles to a 24-12 season that ended in the state semifinals.

Frantz has continued to put up big numbers as a junior, leading the Eagles (17-7) with 400 assists and 109 aces.

"(Frantz) knows the game and she knows her teammates really well," Eagles coach Cherise Roe said. "She's able to run the floor and get people where they need to be, and she's able to read the other team's defense."

Frantz dished out 40 assists in a 3-1 win over Del Sol on Sept. 12, but that wasn't even her season highlight. That came Sept. 3, when she served 25 straight points, including 11 aces, in a 2-0 win over Lake Mead. Roe called it "kind of surreal."

"I actually didn't realize the accomplishment of it until the 23rd or 24th point," Frantz said. "Then I was like, 'Wow, I've been serving the whole game.' But it wasn't like I got 25 aces. The ball came over quite a few times, and my team was able to put it away. So it was a special experience as a team."

Boulder City senior libero Ali Rants said having a consistent setter such as Frantz puts the rest of the team at ease.

"Everyone gets used to one thing, and we get good at that one thing, instead of having to change it around," Rants said. "(Frantz) is always on top of things. She knows not only her position, but everyone else's."

Frantz isn't only driven on the court. She has hopes of being valedictorian of her class in 2013, served as Boulder City's sophomore class president and is active in the National Honor Society. Her accomplishments have prompted recruiting interest from schools including Harvard, Penn and Georgetown.

Krysta Ortiz, Frantz's coach with the Nevada Jrs. club team, said Frantz is better than most of the area's Class 4A setters. Ortiz sees 4A competition as Foothill's coach.

Boulder City is 8-5 this season against 4A teams.

"I would say she's above most of the teams that we have played, just my opinion," Ortiz said. "She's a positive role model in everything you want your setter to be, mentally and physically."

Frantz also is a track and field standout. She took fifth in the discus at the 3A state meet last spring.

But before she moves on to club volleyball, track or her college selection, Frantz's goal is to help the Eagles win the 3A Southern League tournament for the third straight year.

Then would come the ultimate goal: the program's first state title since 1989.

"(Winning state) would be something really special, especially being from a small town," Frantz said. "You'd have your whole city supporting you. It'd be something to look back on for the rest of my life."

Roe looks back on Frantz's decision to play volleyball and feels blessed.

"She's been a family friend since she was a little girl," Roe said. "Seeing the development of the player up to now, it's just exciting."

Contact reporter Tristan Aird at taird@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203.