(ABC 6 News) — Among the three sports Alyvia Engler participates in, none are quite as enthralling or as exciting as lacing up the shoes and hitting the hardwood.

“Third grade, when I started doing Little Hoopsters and I just decided to try AAU for the first time and I’ve just loved basketball since,” the sophomore recounted.

Perhaps it’s fitting Engler goes to PEM High School. She has a lot of the qualities associated with a bulldog mentality. She’s fearless in the face of competition and is always chomping at the bit to get the ball, even if she takes a few cuts in the process.

“Yeah, I do, I know I’m small,” Engler said with a smile. “Obviously and I know I’m fast so I know that I can just get in there and get some steals.”

“Looking back at it, it’s just being in the right spot on defense,” Bulldogs head coach Wyatt Nelson added. “Getting your hands there, a lot of tip-outs and then running the floor and finishing at the hoop.”

Besides her knack for steals, Egnler’s scored in double-digits through her first five games of the year, including 27 at St. Charles on November 28.

“She’s confident and she definitely shows that on the court, which is good,” senior Haylee Barton effused. “Just her confidence in shooting and passing the ball and really not afraid to do anything on the court.”

“Being aggressive is really the number one thing,” Engler noted. “Being good on defense, getting good steals and then easy lay-ups.”

Engler will take satisfaction in earning every big play she makes. She hopes to break the school’s record for steals in a season. With her skillset, she’s poised to be a problem for a while. It’s the fight in the bulldog that matters, and Engler has plenty of fight still.

“My goal is to get my thousandth (point) junior year.” Engler said. “So, I’m aiming for that and I want to break our school steal record. So, I just have some goals that are set for me.”

“Still a  lot of good games to come,” Coach Nelson continued. “She’s quick, she gets the hand on the ball, she runs the floors, so a lot of those good things that you’re looking for in a player and good things happen.”