Against all outside voices, Lillian Edwards decided she wanted to be an outside hitter from an early age.

The TCA junior, who currently stands 5-foot-9, has always been tall but never the tallest girl on her team. Outside hitter is usually reserved for a team’s tallest players, but Edwards has always seen that position as hers.

“I think it has pushed me because I’ve always been told, ‘Hey you’re too short. You’re not ever going to be tall enough to do this,’” Edwards said.

Now in her third year of high school volleyball, it’s clear that outside hitter is the right fit for her.

In 22 matches, Edwards has posted a team-best hitting percentage of .435. The junior helped TCA finish the regular season 19-3 and the No. 12 seed in 4A.

Edwards is the Peak Performer of the Week.

“I love hitting,” Edwards said. “Hitting’s my passion. That’s why I love volleyball.”

Edwards admitted that she’s open to one day switching to the back row, but for now, the outside is where she wants to play.

She leads the Titans with 238 kills and is tied for the most blocks with 38. Last week, Edwards recorded 20 kills and a .538 hitting percentage as TCA beat a 21-5 Elizabeth team 3-0.

Edwards has played volleyball since she was 7, and since then, she has learned to compensate for being a few inches shorter than many outside hitters.

“I’m working on being the best I can be,” Edwards said. “Hitting my best and jumping my highest with height not being in my favor.”

It’s not just Edwards that has excelled: The Titans are one of the best teams in 4A.

TCA enters the postseason No. 12 and will host a regional  Saturday. The Titans’ only three losses came against Palmer Ridge, Cheyenne Mountain and Holy Family — all of which are ranked in the 4A top 10.

Not only has Edwards been TCA’s most productive player, she’s been the team’s most vocal leader.

“She's the fire,” TCA coach Layne Witmer said. “She wants us to win, and she wants to take our team to high levels. She gets just as excited for somebody else’s kill than her own.”

Regardless of how many games TCA wins in the postseason, Edwards’ season has already been a success. But she isn’t ready for it to be over.

The Titans will advance to the state tournament if they win their regional, which includes No. 13 Mullen and No. 25 Battle Mountain. TCA will face each of the teams in a round-robin format.

Edwards believes that the Titans can make a deep run in the state tournament if they practice well and execute in their matches — and that all starts with her leadership.

“We have to bring the intensity that our team needs to have the final push,” Edwards said. We need to bring that push and fire to move on to state.”

Witmer said, “It’s the heart of the team. She has that desire to win, and it inspires us all to be better in our practices and in our matches.”