LAPEL — It was not an easy transition from middle school basketball to the high school level for Lapel forward Delany Peoples a year ago.

But quietly, the freshman put together a solid season and, with a concerted effort this summer, Peoples is looking for even bigger and better things when her sophomore season rolls around.

A starter from Game 1 of the season, she sat out the opening tip just once, on senior night. Peoples averaged 3.6 points, four rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

According to Lapel coach John Willis, she was successful last year because she did not try to do too much.

“The thing for her was, I felt like she was surrounded by kids who could do a lot of things,” he said. “She wasn’t expected to step in and score 20 points or get 10 rebounds. She was pretty solid; she just came in and played.”

Five players had higher per-game scoring averages than Peoples last year, but three of them have graduated. She gives herself a grade of C for last season but is looking to one particular area of her game for improvement.

“I’ve never been a great shooter,” Peoples said. “It’s a confidence thing, and it’s something I am working hard at.”

Peoples shot 40 percent from the floor a year ago, but take out the 3-for-14 from 3-point range, and that number goes up to 44 percent inside the arc. She has shown Willis enough to know what she is really capable of.

“I keep telling her that she can score,” he said. “And I want her to look to do that. We’ve seen her in practice drain jumpers, and she slashes and finishes very well around the basket.”

One area that has been a strength for Peoples has been her defense. She was second on the team in total steals and total blocked shots and was third in defensive rebounds last year. Because of her athletic versatility, she has the strength to play inside and the quickness to play outside, something that started to show up last year.

“She really stepped up last year and started guarding the other team’s best player,” Willis said. “She did that a lot, and she did that (last week) at Clinton Prairie. She’s taking a lot of pride in her defense.”

Peoples is not only working on basketball this summer. She is also preparing for the fall volleyball season, during which she is expected to take on a more prominent role this year.

“I’m definitely in the gym more than I’m at home,” she said. “It’s hard, especially the conditioning, because the two sports are nothing alike.”

Going from middle school to high school challenged Peoples, part of a talented and successful group of freshman players last year.

“Learning to play with a different group of players was tough,” she said. “By the time we’re in eighth grade, we’ve been playing together for three or four years — we knew where each other was all the time. Learning the tendencies of new teammates was tough.”

The numbers will go up for Peoples. Her play during the summer is showing a renewed aggressiveness and confidence with the ball in an understated manner.

“She’s not about flash,” Willis said. “She wants to try to do the right thing. It’s nice.”