By RYAN CHRISTNER

rchristner@dailynews.net

Walking away from an obviously celebratory gathering with her teammates Friday night following a victory against Spearville at the Class 2A volleyball championships at Gross Memorial Coliseum, Jordan Dreher appeared equally ecstatic and exhausted.

For the junior from Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, the emotions came after a long day of competition in which Dreher and her fellow Red Devils also registered wins against Salina-Sacred Heart and Blue Rapids-Valley Heights.

Valley Heights later got its revenge during a repeat series Saturday in the third-place match.

That guaranteed Oberlin would progress to day two and would be ranked at the end of its season, something no other team in school history has accomplished.

"It's exciting," Dreher said, unaware of the disheartening defeats that would come the next day.

The soft-spoken 16-year-old has made her presence felt all season long.

Leading the team in several statistical categories, Dreher is a "true athlete," according to her coach, Sherri Ruf.

"Jordan is one of those athletes that every coach loves to have," Ruf said. "She'll do everything I ask her to do."

While that's certainly the result of a love for the sport and a dedication to physical conditioning, it also could be a product of good genes.

Her father, Joe Dreher, is the school's athletic director, who during his days as a student-athlete preferred participating in football and wrestling.

"It's been a major part of my life," said Joe, who was named an All-American in wrestling at Fort Hays State University in 1992.

Melissa Dreher was the assistant coach for her daughter's team, although she said her activities of choice are basketball and fast-pitch softball.

"I'm pretty competitive," she said. "I don't like to lose."

As a family, the Drehers said they play co-ed softball together in their spare time and frequent the gym when the weather forces them indoors.

"We like to be active," Joe Dreher said.

Coach Ruf laughs when asked about the Drehers athletic prowess.

"They're both competitive," she said of Jordan's parents. "(Melissa) doesn't suit up to lose anything. Jordan got it, honestly."

Whether Jordan's talent was born in her blood or not, Ruf said she feels thankful to have her for one more year.

"She's a great team leader," Ruf said.

Jordan said she's consciously been working on that leadership role this year, and it shows from both her on-court attitude as well as the way students seem to chant her name as she steps back for a serve.

Oberlin might have come out on the wrong side of the scoreboard in its last two match-ups Saturday -- losing for only their second and third times this season. But Dreher knows there's still next year.

"Making it to the second day was exciting," she said this weekend after her team's fourth-place finish. "It was really fun. We had a big crowd that was supporting us. It just didn't happen like we wanted it to."

And, of course, there's always the possibility of continuing on in the college ranks, which from her coach's perspective should just be one more venue in which to demonstrate her mastery of the court.

"I think that she'll have no problem getting somewhere," Ruf said.