Ella Reed finally found her voice.
The junior setter for William Blount held her tongue in her first season of varsity play in 2025. Now, near the end of 2026 TSSAA volleyball regular season, Reed is unafraid to speak her mind.
"Her leadership has definitely grown," William Blount volleyball coach Kendra Swafford told Knox News on Sept. 28. "I was kind of laughing, I don't even have to tell her to go argue a play anymore. She's just up there doing it. Last year, she kind of stepped back a little bit and learned from the seniors how to lead the team. She was still leading our offense but off the court she took a step back. This year, she's leading the team on and off the court."
at the 2026 TSSAA midseason mark?
Reed advocated for her teammates at the Blount County Tournament hosted by Heritage and featuring Alcoa and Maryville. William Blount won two out of three games.
"I want to still be respectful with them and all that, but I think it gets us all hyped up if there's someone up there vouching for them," she said.
Last season was Reed's first on the varsity roster. As a sophomore, she earned PrepXtra First-Team honorswith 1,009 assists, 233 digs, 75 aces, 63 kills and 37 blocks. Reed has crossed over the 500-assist marker as William Blount chases a Region 2-AAA title and TSSAA state tournament berth.
Reed has set the Lady Governors up to a 21-13 overall record and 6-1 record in District 4-3A.
"I think just having fun with the girls on the court," Reed said about what led to her success. "It's about competing, but if you have fun, the competition's going to be so much better."
Swafford is most impressed with Reed's penchant for turning any ball into a potential point.
"Her ability to set the ball," she said. "Sometimes she's in situations where she's really off because of a pass, yet she's able to put up a hittable ball to our hitters. She knows who has the hot hand and that can change any minute."
Reed spends her offseasons training with K2 Volleyball Club, the same club that featured Vanderbilt commit Mia Kinney. She developed under Webb volleyball coach Nicklin Hames, who watched Reed grow from a bench role to an impact starter.
"When I first started working with Ella, she earned a spot on my 15 Elite travel team," Hames said. "She didn't get the playing time she wanted, but you would've never known it by the way she showed up every single day... She took everything she learned that season into her next high school season and absolutely killed it. She earned a starting role and then turned around and did the same in club the next season. She's been an absolute joy to coach and probably one of my all time favorites."
The extra club work helped Reed endure the slog of three consecutive games in the tournament. Through three games, she finished with 63 assists, 36 digs, seven aces, six kills and three blocks.
"It's hard on their bodies," Swafford said. "It's tiring. In between games, there's not much to say to them. Most of these girls are used to that, though, with club going back to back, to back like that. We're doing a really nice job. We have kids stepping up in good places and seniors stepping up in big moments too.
"And we have a great setter that's leading us."
Reed is prepared to lead William Blount to its first ever TSSAA state tournament appearance. The 2025 squad went 37-2 overall and reached the Class 3A sectionals but fell short to Science Hill.
She's convinced her team can make school history in October.
"Realizing that we're just as good as we were last year," she said. "We just need that confidence."
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why potential TSSAA volleyball state appearance for William Blount hinges on Ella Reed
