Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – All the signs pointed toward Bliss Beck excelling in athletics.

Both of Beck’s parents were heavily involved in athletics leading to a childhood overflowing with opportunities to find a sport that fit.

With her father standing 6-foot-8 and her mother 6-foot-1 genetics offered another early indicator for future sports stardom for Beck.

The sign for Beck herself that her future in athletics was bright came from another extracurricular activity.

That sign emerged in of all places at an elementary school choir concert.

“At our school concerts in elementary school I would always be sent to the back row of the bleachers,” Beck explained. “That’s sort of how I realized I was taller than everyone else. That was kind of the tell-tale sign.”
All of those early signs proved accurate.

Just a little more than three years into her prep career Beck has emerged as a rare four-sport standout at Clear Creek Amana.

The 6-foot-2 Beck is one of the top hitters in the state on a volleyball court, she is an all-conference basketball and softball player and a three-event state qualifier in track and field.

“She is always in the gym,” Clear Creek Amana volleyball coach Jackie Clubb said. “If she is not at not at practice for one sport she is in the gym working on another sport doing what it takes to be a great player.”

It isn’t just the four-sport success that is rare for Beck.

Beck herself has proven to be an uncommon athletic specimen.

A unique blend of height, athleticism and skill that makes Beck among the most intriguing prep athletes in the entire state.

“When you are 6-foot-2 you typically don’t move as well, you aren’t quick you aren’t fast but she has all that,” Clear Creek Amana basketball coach Sweeney said. “She has jumping ability, she has quickness, she has explosiveness and she does so many different things so well and she moves so smoothly. At 6-foot-2 and where she is at you just don’t see that. It’s very rare.

As a youth Beck couldn’t settle on a single sport so she played them all.

Often as children get older they settle on a single sport or maybe two sports.

Not Beck.

“There is something about every sport that I love,” Beck said. “I love being a part of them all.”

Once she reached high school Beck continued to excel across all sports.

She averaged 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season for the Clipper basketball team in her first varsity season last fall.

It was her work ethic that stood out to Sweeney.

“She definitely finds time as a four-sport athlete,” Sweeney said. “For us we have out of season stuff and she is right in the middle of volleyball, she is right in the middle of softball and she always finds time to come to open gym and work on her game. She is a very rare athlete.”

Last spring Beck earned a medal in the high jump at the Class 3A state track meet and was a member of state qualifying 4×400 and distance medley relay teams.

“She’s exactly the type of kid that you want to be a part of your program,” Clear Creek Amana track coach Ben Robison said. “She’s an amazing kid, she does anything you ask of her and she’s a special, special athlete.”

During the summer Beck was among the best pitchers in 4A.

She posted a 15-4 record and eye-popping .52 ERA while striking out 136 in 93 2/3 innings.

“I would say the two things that stand out most for me is she is a great teammate on and off the field and she is just very coachable,” Clear Creek Amana softball coach Jodie Scheetz said.

While Beck excels across four sports over four seasons she has found her love in volleyball.

Her 6-foot-2 frame, impressive length and uncanny athleticism for an athlete her size has helped Beck become one of the best in the state.

“Up until about a year ago I would always say whatever was in season, that was my go-to line whenever asked people what my favorite sport was,” Beck said. “Recently I just like the camaraderie of the team in volleyball and I’ve had a lot of fun playing with both my club teams and school ball so it’s really kind of become my favorite.”

In a breakthrough junior season Beck ranks sixth in Class 4A in kills with 338 and is second in both blocks with 131 and hitting efficiency at .418.

Beck leads eighth-ranked Clear Creek Amana (31-10) into the Class 4A, Region 7 title game on Tuesday at sixth-ranked West Delaware (29-14) where the Clippers are seeking its first state tournament appearance since 2014.

“I would say the sky is the limit for us,” Beck said. “(Junior libero) Meg (Berkland) is the backbone of it all and when we get those good passes going we can be really good.”

Beck has been a big part of the success for the Clippers this season.

Last year she was named WAMAC Conference West Division player of the year after posting 306 kills on .332 hitting with 92 blocks.

Beck has been even better this fall.

“She has gained confidence but at times she just needs reminders that she is doing the right things,” Clubb said. “It has really helped that other girls have stepped up.”

While Beck has finally found a favorite sport in volleyball she has no plans to give up being a four-sport athlete.

“When I was little I always said that I wanted to be a four-sport athlete and I looked up to girls that were doing that,” Beck said. “A lot of those girls didn’t finish it out so that’s one of my goals is to finish it out as a four-sport athlete.”

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