The biggest obstacle to state volleyball success on the North Olympic Peninsula is no secret.
It’s the same as just about any sport in the area:
The sheer distances players and teams must travel for high level competition, be it high school or club, often prohibits them from doing so.
And it’s the latter (club volleyball) that carries the most weight, according to many area coaches, because it keeps Peninsula players from developing in the offseason like their counterparts across the bridges.
There’s a reason many of the best players to come out of the area — Tessa Kush of Port Townsend, Lisa Fryer of Sequim and Dani Barrett of Port Angeles, just to name three — routinely played club ball on the other side of the water.
In the era of specialization, it’s what’s necessary for good players to become polished enough to compete at a high level, Sequim coach Jennie Webber-Heilman said.
“The teams at the state tournament, just about every girl on the team plays in the offseason or at least attends several camps during the summer,” said Webber-Heilman, who’s been part of the area volleyball scene for more than 20 years.
“Kids that are in the Seattle-Tacoma area, they can go and try out for three or four clubs and pick and choose what they want to do. If you’re not getting that experience [over here], you’re trying to cram all of that into one season.
“Game experience is game experience.”
The Peninsula has had club teams at various levels for several years.
Port Angeles coach Christine Halberg has helped organize one in Port Angeles along with Jennifer Zbaraschuk during the past two winters.
Yet that club, Peninsula Team Turbo, doesn’t have the same sort of resources that other clubs across the water do.
It doesn’t get as many athletes to participate in all of the age groups, and it doesn’t have the necessary funds to travel to as many tournaments.
Thus, high school players from the Peninsula often enter the season with a handicap not experienced by the top tier teams in the I-5 Corridor.
It’s a disadvantage that is further magnified in volleyball – a niche sport that doesn’t offer the same sort of youth opportunities sports like softball and basketball do.
Peninsula schools’ record at the state level — eight total wins in 16 appearances between nine schools — reflects that.
“It’s just isolated over here, and there aren’t many people over here who know volleyball,” Webber-Heilman said.
“That’s always the struggle over here is finding coaches [since high school coaches can’t participate at the club level].
“There’s a good core of people who have played college [on the other side of the water] . . . and they are available to coach. And some of the clubs are huge.”
Of course, something as large as that is hard to organize on the Peninsula.
Getting gym space is hard enough alone . . . unless you’re willing to travel, that is.
