In volleyball speak, coach Julie Nelson is set.

Last season, her Cedar Park Christian girls notched a 14-0 Emerald City League mark, 19-2 overall record and fourth-place finish at the 1A state tournament.

The Eagles are at it again this year with a pair of 3-0 league wins and a third-place showing at the SunDome Volleyball Festival in Yakima.

“They’re more well-rounded than last year. They’re pretty focused, far more driven. They’re looking to do better this year,” Nelson said.

Where to start?

Leading the charge are senior captains Tiffany Stumpf (setter), Heather Hislop (6-foot middle) and an array of other upperclasswomen and — yes — a trio of solid freshmen.

Those newcomers are Mattie Shelford (5-11 outside hitter), Kayla Zacharias (outside hitter) and Lyndsay Palmer (right side/setter).

“They’re very athletic, very coachable. They don’t play like they’re freshmen — they play like juniors and seniors,” Nelson said. “And they know they’re stepping into a tradition here. They’re willing to put in the effort in the summer and offseason to keep the tradition going.”

Set for the present, set for the future.

There’s talent all across the board for Cedar Park, which benefits from the hard hitting of senior Brittany Kragerud (second team all-league) and the two captains, each of whom bring a special personality to the team.

“Tiffany is always the positive one. She makes everyone better on the team,” Nelson said. “And Heather includes everyone on the team, whether they’re freshmen or seniors. She makes sure the team is always gelling together.”

Cedar Park’s mottoes are “stay humble” and “keep working hard,” and Nelson makes sure to repeat those phrases every day at practice.

The coach enjoys being around the Eagles and watching them succeed.

“It’s 12 girls that just love to play together and love playing the game,” said Nelson, who’s in her sixth year as the Eagles’ varsity coach. “It’s always exciting to see what each season brings and what the girls can do.”