Volleyball nets fun, friendship

MAT-SU — The windows of Glacier View School, located at Mile 104 of the Glenn Highway, reveal a magnificent view of the Matanuska Glacier.

The high school population fluctuates every year, never guaranteeing the numbers for any type of sports team. When Claudia Berkley and Lou Boyer had the numbers, they coached numerous volleyball teams because the Glacier View girls have always had an interest in the sport. As of last year, the Glacier View boys began to show a growing interest in the sport as well. This prompted Berkley and Boyer to begin a boys team in spring 2010. Volleyball seasons and the spring semester came to a close and Boyer presented the players with the idea of playing Mix 6 volleyball the upcoming season.

After first seeing Mix 6 volleyball in the newspaper, Boyer said, “I thought about it for the last 10 years.”

As Boyer and Berkley saw the interest from both boys and girls, it was the opportune time to start a Mix 6 program. The students promptly began to raise funds to cover the costs that would come with new uniforms, travel and miscellaneous expenses. Their nearest competition was six hours away on the Kenai Peninsula, the Nikolaesvk Warriors.

For the coaches, Claudia Berkley and Lou Boyer, coaching a coed volleyball team was a new experience. Boyer described the season as “fun and challenging” and Berkley said, “I thought it would be interesting to observe the dynamics between the girls and boys on the court.” As the season progressed, the coaches observed that teamwork was the Wolverines’ greatest strength and Berkley said, “It was pretty spectacular to watch.”

The coaches loved the enthusiasm of the kids as they learned and saw how all the players’ skills had grown. A highlight of looking back on the season for the coaches was the excitement of what the team had learned. Berkley said, “I have never been more honored to coach a team or be a part of a team. I’m so proud.”

To the players, volleyball was more than just a game. It was time spent together on and off the court, meeting new people, seeing new sights and making great friends. On the court, the Glacier View Wolverines excelled in teamwork and pulling out of a deficit. This became the Wolverines greatest strength throughout the season. The Glacier View Wolverines team consisted of three girls and six boys: Jenny Lee, Miranda Roub, Ally Ruisch, Trayton Cohen, Derek Kolb, Christopher Martin, Andrei Mays, Carlen Thiessen and Robert VanDaam. The girls had all played in junior high and their freshman years. The boys are fairly new to the sport with all but one playing only last season on the boys team. They demonstrated athleticism though and have picked up the game rapidly.

After a number of practices, the Wolverines headed to the Kenai Peninsula to play in the Nikolaevsk tournament. The Wolverines went undefeated and received their first taste of playing another Mix 6 team, the Warriors. Then the Wolverines set out for Ouzinkie, a 10-minute Bush plane ride from Kodiak. Here the Wolverines again went undefeated to win the Southwestern Conference and were headed to state for the first time in school history.

Off the court, the Wolverines enjoyed the camaraderie of their team. Long road trips, plane rides, killing time in airports and down time at tournaments gave the Wolverines plenty of time to hang out. They had the opportunity to go to places where coaches and players alike had not been. The team walked the docks and beach of Homer and enjoyed a gorgeous Bush plane ride to Ouzinkie while the sun was rising. Here they explored the island, collected shells and sea glass, and walked the boardwalk.

“Volleyball brought us together at regions, but regions was about more than volleyball,” Martin said.

While waiting for their plane ride back to Anchorage, they had the opportunity to see the Kodiak Coast Guard Base. Most of all, they made lasting friendships. Although rivals, the Warriors and Wolverines bonded off the court. As the Warriors played, the Wolverines enthusiastically cheered them on from the bleachers and when the Wolverines took the court the Warriors did likewise.

“It was fun being able to play them on the court and hanging out off the court,” Ruisch said.

The Wolverines could not have done this without the support of the Glacier View community. As the players and other students fund-raised for the Mix 6 season, community members supported them in the volleyball serve-a-thon. Any match the Wolverines had, whether against a community team or a rival team, people would come out to support their team.

“It was great to have the support of the community,” Roub said.

When the team advanced to state, the Glacier View fans passionately cheered and filled up an entire section of the bleachers at Dimond High School. Berkley described looking up to the bleachers and seeing all the support from the community as humbling. The Wolverines nicknamed one man, Rex Close, “Superfan” because he traveled with the team all the way to the regional tourney and has always supported the Glacier View volleyball program.

Close went along to support the team and said, “I’m 100 percent behind them.”

The players and coaches also acknowledge the phenomenal support and commitment of the players’ parents, who did an abundance of behind-the-scenes work such as driving to tournaments, helping with fund-raisers and preparing food for the team.

The Wolverines were enthusiastic about their first appearance at a state tournament. Their first opponent was Golovin and they defeated them in three sets to advance to the semi finals. Next they faced Tikigaq, where they lost and then played for third against Alak School from Wainwright. They again lost and finished fifth. The players were disappointed, but proud of their accomplishments as a first-year team. They are pumped for next season and ready to come back next season swinging.

“I know we have great fundamental skills and next season will be refining those skills,” Berkley said.

Thiessen added that, “It will be cool to have the same team and improve our skills for next season.”

The Glacier View Wolverines season was an unforgettable experience for the players, coaches and community. It was more than playing a sport; it brought a group of students together and their community as well.

Jenny Lee is a sophomore at Glacier View School.