Volleyball… championship style

by Richard Uhlhorn – Lake Chelan Sports & Recreation

DIG, PASS, SET, KILL… VOLLEYBALL FUNDAMENTALS, BUT WHAT
is it that makes a team become championship material? In Chelan’s, Manson’s and Wenatchee’s volleyball world it is great coaching and extremely talented athletes.

The passion, love, and dedication for the game needed to excel beyond the norm comes from committed coaches and the opportunity to play year round.

Desiree Phelps has been the motivating factor in the development of these athletes through her Kahiau Volleyball Club/KBeach affiliation.

Kira Sandoval, a Chelan alumni said it best. “It’s all about the mental part of the game. Dez and the other coaches have a different attitude and are focused on community.”

Sandoval is playing beach at Southern Oregon University and was a part of the 2019 and 2021 championship team.

VOLLEYBALL has become the fastest growing participatory sport at both the high school and college level. A professional volleyball league debuted in January with seven teams located around the United States and more expected to field professional teams. A number of state high schools are also introducing male volleyball teams to their athletic programs.

A TRIFECTA:
The local 2023 Volleyball season ended with a trifecta in North Central Washington; first, the Manson Lady Trojans rolled through their competition at the Yakima Sundome and captured Manson High School’s first ever team state championship. Next up, it was defending State Champions Chelan who won their fourth straight Championship. Chelan’s championship was followed by 4A Wenatchee Panther’s capturing a State Championship title after a 40 year hiatus.

Taking nothing away from the coaching at each school, there is a bond created with many of these athletes beginning their volleyball careers at a young age at the club level.

The Kahiau Volleyball Club and KBeach organization is a 501 (C)3 non-profit started by Desiree Phelps in Chelan in 2014. Phelps, the principal owner of the Kahiau VBC began the club after spending hours of driving time to the Tri-Cities with four elite players including her daughter Abby to compete in the Columbia Juniors program. “I felt we could better serve our kids here in Chelan,” said Phelps.

Phelps started the Kahiau VBC with only 27 indoor players and 15 beach players. In 2023, the club grew to 110 court players and 150 beach players. “A lot of kids enjoy playing because it is fun,” said Phelps. However, there are serious beach players in the club who travel to tournaments throughout the United States. “We have about 50 kids who compete in tournaments around the State and as many as 20 kids who travel out of State.

It is unprecedented for three high school teams in one county to rise to a State Championship in the same year. So unprecedented that the Chelan County Commissioners proclaimed December 15 to be Volleyball State Champions Day.

THE BOND:

The players on all three teams have a common bond; Kahiau Volleyball Club and KBeach Volleyball. Many of them begin learning their volleyball skills at an early age. As an example: Brynn Hughbanks, a superb outside hitter for Chelan’s high school squad, began her training in the third grade. “She loves the game,” said Camisha Hughbanks, one of the many KBeach and Kahiau Volleyball Club’s coaches with collegiate experience. “Beach volleyball is her primary focus,” added Hughbanks.

All three teams had and have players associated with the KBeach program. Several years ago, Phelps said that if a player isn’t playing club ball, the chances of making a local varsity squad is small.

The KBeach program not only teaches volleyball fundamentals, but is also heavy on teaching the mental aspects of the game. “I like to mentally and emotionally train them,” said Phelps. “

“The tipping point to excellence is to become mentally calm and know what to do next in a game.” The other important aspect of the club experience is that it gives players more touches. Phelps says to become proficient a player needs 10,000 hours of playing and practice time.

Most of the KBeach players began their volleyball careers at an early age, some as young as the third grade. By the time they have reached the high school level, they are extremely proficient.

HISTORY:

My love for the game came in 1989 when I traveled to Spokane for the State B Championships. That was when Ritzville was a volleyball powerhouse. From that point on, Volleyball has become my favorite sport to cover.

Throughout the 90s to 2023, both Chelan and Manson have grown into volleyball powerhouses.

Manson’s Lady Trojans placed third at the WIAA 2B State Championships two years in a row before capturing the school’s first state team championship in 2023.

Chelan has a more storied history on the volleyball court starting with a series of coaches who have guided the teams to the state playoffs in numerous years.

In 2010, after placing second two years in a row, Coach Donene Hendricks guided the Lady Goats to its first State Championship. She was assisted by Connie Poyer.

When Donene retired to follow her children through their high school athletic programs, Jenifer Rainville took over and led the Lady Goats to two State Championships, including one in 2019 where the team was down two sets in the championship game against Kings, going on to winning an incredible three straight sets to claim the championship.

Rainville said she doesn’t really remember what she told the team when they were down two games except that their “story wasn’t complete and to just go out and have fun on the State’s biggest stage.” Much to King’s dismay, the Goats pulled together an amazing three sets.

In 2021 the Goats successfully defended their 2019 championship (no state games were played in 2020 because of COVID) with only two players returning from the 2019 team; Morgyn Harrison and Olivia Strandberg, both of whom are now playing collegiate volleyball, Harrison in Montana and Strandberg on Florida State Atlantic University’s beach team.

After the 2021 win, Phelps, who added expert commentary to Dennis Rahm’s live stream, said, “I’m so proud of these ladies. Only two have played at this level before.”

Coach Rainville decided to retire from coaching when her father fell ill. “I wanted to spend time with him,” She contacted Abby Phelps (now Abby Lewellen) to see if she would be interested in returning to Chelan to teach and coach. “If you can see yourself here, it is a good fit,” Rainville told Abby. Phelps had just graduated from Western Washington University.

Phelps asked her husband to be if he’d buy in on moving to Chelan, and he agreed. They both are now employed at in the district and both are coaching; Abby – Volleyball and Byron – JV Basketball. “We took a deep leap of faith,” said Abby. “We are definitely blessed.”

Lewellen has a huge history with Valley sports. “My entire childhood was watching sports,” she said. She played on the Columbia Juniors Volleyball Club’s U-18 team as a sophomore and junior which led her to a position on the USA Volleyball Junior National Championship team.

Her high school athletic career included Cross-Country, Volleyball, Basketball and Softball, but it was volleyball that became her favorite sport which led to being recruited by Western Washington University where she excelled.

Abby played volleyball at Western for five years before graduating with a degree in education. During her collegiate career, she became the fourth player in GNAC history to join the 1,000 kill/dig club.

Under her coaching leadership, Abby has led the team to two more state championships.

“Honestly, for me, I think they (her team) are 100 percent capable… that’s my push.” She added that the players have to believe they are champions. “Being a good person first is the glue to success. They have the opportunity to manage pressure expectations and that is a lot for 15 to 17 year olds to carry,” stated Abby.

In 2023, after losing five outstanding seniors, the returning players came in not believing. “I told them to go prove that they are champions and if we don’t do it again, “you are still champions.”

Camisha Hughbanks stated that the right mindset is the most important aspect of the game, and “We teach that to our young athletes from the beginning in both programs and that is a huge contributing factor to Chelan’s, Manson’s, and Wenatchee’s success.”

The right mindset was not a problem for Chelan, Manson and Wenatchee this past year. They will all be back on the State’s biggest stage in 2024 to take on the 16 top teams, some of whom are eager to push all three squads off the top.

COLLEGE:

Chelan has had a number of players recruited to the college level including:

·         AJ Gueller – Played for Bellevue Community College

·         Kate Rainville – Lewis and Clark College

·         Elly Collins – Grand Canyon University’s Beach Volleyball Program

·         Lexie Gleasman – Eastern Washington University and Carroll College

·         Josephine Thompson – a Manson graduate is at Whitworth College

·         Olivia Strandberg – Florida Atlantic University Beach Volleyball Program

·         Kira Sandoval – Southern Oregon University Beach Volleyball Program

·         Morgyn Harrison – University of Montana Volleyball Program

·         Emma McLaren – Cal Poly Beach Program (retired due to head injury)

·         Jaicee Harris – Washington State University

Wenatchee’s Keira Deminjian, a 2024 Senior at Wenatchee High School has signed to play beach volleyball at Boise State University.

THE FUTURE:

CHELAN LADY GOATS
Chelan’s 2023 Championship Team will lose only two seniors. Returning to the court next season will be Seniors Kenzie Avery and Lydia Peterson; Juniors Brynn Hughbanks, Gracie Gilsoul, Marley Williams, Jacci Simmons and Jayden Simmons; Sophomores Brooklyn Foyle, Alison Horner, Grace Roberts and Esther Petersen.

MANSON LADY TROJANS
Manson 2023 Championship Team lost two seniors and will return Seniors Genesis Torres, Stella Petersen, Camillie Hutton and Brynn Williams; Juniors Kayden Koth and Karly Naranjo; Sophomore Bailey Evans.

WENATCHEE PANTHERS
The Panthers have 10 returning players for the 2024 season of which eight have been involved with the Kahaiu KBeach program. Returning players include Seniors Keira Deminjian, Ava Berry, Maren Stuber and Emma Tucker; Juniors Rylee Jones; and Sophomores Claire Demirjian and Journey Jelsing. They are joined by Senior Nicolette Reed and Sophomores Breven Luinstra and Sienna Knell who were not KBeachers.

The future, with all of these returning championship players looks bright for these three North Central Washington teams. 

All of these players will likely be back on the beach volleyball schedule this coming summer. The KBeach program will host several tournaments throughout the summer and has gained enough recognition throughout the Nation of beach volleyball that the program also hosts a College Coaches Clinic.

This Coaches Clinic typically brings Coaches from around the United States to help develop young talent.

For more information and tournament schedules visit www. Kahiau/KBeach Volleyball Club (sportngin.com)