Two middle school athletes compete at Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships

Summa, Jones humbled by elite competition

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

When Savannah Jones and Claire Summa begin playing volleyball for their respective middle schools this fall, they most likely will be one of the most skilled players on their teams.

Both have been playing volleyball for about two years for the University Place Volleyball Club. Since Gig Harbor or the Key Peninsula don’t have club teams, they say they have to cross the Narrows bridge to play at the elite level.

The UPVBC sent three teams to the Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships last month in Miami, Fla. Jones and Summa were part of the under-12 team that placed 31st out of 48 teams from across the country.

The U12 team was the only squad from Washington to advance to nationals. They beat the Fife Volleyball Club during the qualifying tournament in Seattle in April to earn a spot in the national competition.

It’s the best the U12 team has performed while being coached by Jeff Grosshans. In 2007, they placed 37th overall.

“It was kind of nerve-racking,” Summa said about competing in Seattle.

The U12 team lost an early match in the double-elimination format and had to battle their way out of the consolation bracket in order to qualify for nationals.

During the elite competition in Miami, they won four of nine matches. A team from Puerto Rico won the national tournament.

“I thought it was cool to play teams from all over the country,” Summa said.

Jones liked the gift exchange part of the tournament. She received pins and other items, like a CD with songs on it, from players on teams from northern Kentucky and southern California.

Both girls play a blocker/hitter position and are looking forward to competing against each other on their respective school teams. Summa attends Kopachuk Middle School and Jones goes to Goodman Middle School. Both are in Gig Harbor.

“I think it’ll be fun,” Jones said about playing against Summa’s school in the fall.

The girls said the experience they gained in Miami opened their eyes to how skilled the rest of the country is. It was a humbling experience, considering their U12 team is used to winning: Of the nine tournaments they competed in from December to May, the team won six.

Summa and Jones said competing at a national tournament makes them want to improve their game. Their goal is to return to the national stage and crack the top 20.

“I just want to get better and get back to the Junior Olympics,” Summa said. “We got a lot better, because we played players from all over the country.”

While the 12-year-olds enjoy playing volleyball, it’s not the only sport in which they compete. Jones likes to golf, play tennis and shoot basketball; Summa plays soccer for Harbor FC.

But volleyball is both girls’ favorite sport. They like the fast-pace aspect and the different strategies of reading opponents’ striking of the ball and rotating on the court to be in the correct position.

Reach sports reporter Marques Hunter at 253-853-9246 or by e-mail at marques.hunter@gateline.com.