One of Derek Pegram’s first stops as Auburn Riverside’s new girls basketball coach in 2013 was watching team practice.

And there was Kiana Drumheller.

Pegram approached Drumheller after practice, and when he learned she had not played basketball in a few years, he asked her to reconsider.

“I love getting athletes on the floor,” Pegram said. “You can always do things with them.”

It was not a difficult pitch. After all, Drumheller grew up around the sport – her mother, Robin, coached her in fifth-grade – and she was interested in playing another sport after volleyball.

That does not mean it was easy. Drumheller, who contemplated quitting volleyball as a freshman because she said she was frustrated with the coaches and her teammates, was relegated to junior varsity as a sophomore basketball player.

Drumheller was more equipped to deal with the latter situation, though. That is because volleyball coach Chris Leverenz talked with Drumheller about changing her mentality as a freshman.

“Freshman year, I was a little stubborn person,” Drumheller said. “I believed in my way, and I didn’t think anyone else was right. I had that mentality. She’s helped me understand that there’s other ways of getting to the goal.”

Since then, Drumheller has developed into an integral part of the Ravens’ two tradition-laden programs. Last year, the outside hitter helped Auburn Riverside capture its first state volleyball championship.

A youthful Ravens’ squad – they graduated seven seniors off the 2014 team – finished third in the Class 3A state tournament earlier this month after falling to Kennedy in the semifinals.

“It was a little sad for me and Kasey (Holland) because we know what it’s like being on top, and we were so close in that fifth set, having the lead the whole time,” said Drumheller, referring to her senior teammate. “We watched it slowly go away. We couldn’t hold onto it, and that was really hard because we were almost there.

“The fact that we could’ve been there and weren’t was really disappointing.”

The situation is a little different in basketball. Auburn Riverside has won three state championships, but has not advanced to state since 2011. And Drumheller is the team’s only senior starter.

That does not mean the Ravens are conceding anything, though.

“Last year, we came just short, so it has kind of motivated us,” Drumheller said. “We’re going to make state this year is our mentality.”

Drumheller, who plans to attend Chaminade University in Hawaii on a volleyball scholarship, still is refining her skills on the offensive end. But Pegram said his 5-foot-11 power forward makes an impact in another area.

“She’s that good of an athlete that she comes in and plays big minutes for us,” he said, adding that Drumheller’s long arms and athleticism make her an ideal fit for Auburn Riverside’s 2-3 zone scheme. “She was our top defender last year.”

Drumheller, who also swam and played soccer as an adolescent, plans to be a three-sport athlete this year. She was an outfielder and designated hitter for the Ravens’ fastpitch team last year.

But whatever sport she competes in, Drumheller has a simple goal.

“I’ve just got the mentality that I want to be good,” she said. “I didn’t want to be the person to sit on the bench.”

That mindset extends to the classroom, where Drumheller maintains a 3.95 grade-point average and a course load that includes Advanced Placement classes.

Drumheller, who visited Chaminade during the summer, wants to major in accounting and business. She said she always has enjoyed math and would like to pursue a career that uses that strength, such as engineering.

For now, she is focused on building another winning program at Auburn Riverside – and marveling at how much has changed in the last three years.

Drumheller grew up in Federal Way and was set to attend Thomas Jefferson. She said that school “was not the right fit” and elected to transfer into the Auburn School District.

With the exception of Holand, Drumheller said, she did not know anyone.

“It was awkward at first,” she said.

But Drumheller integrated and now cannot envision herself anywhere else. She has immersed herself in the school to the point that she had her fingernails painted teal and blue to correspond with the Ravens’ color scheme.

Pegram is just happy that Drumheller can bring that passion to his program.

“Whatever the girl chooses to do, she’s going to be successful,” he said. “She’s a great kid in the classroom and on the court. She’s a coach’s dream.”