Tumwater Volleyball Looking For State Crown While Having Fun Along The Way

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By  Tom Rohrer

   State championships are never obtained with ease.  It takes dedication, talent and sometimes, a little luck.

Growing up, Tana Croft, the head coach of the Tumwater High School volleyball team, saw that lesson first hand, as she watched her father, the head coach of the T-Birds football team since 1974, bring multiple state championships back home.

It appears Croft took extensive and suitable notes, as she has led her team to the 2A state crown following an undefeated run to the top in 2008.  Last year, the T-Birds expected to add to that collection, but finished second, to go along with a runner-up finish in 2007, as well.  This year, the T-Birds have picked up where they left off, and are now 11-0 going into a matchup with Black Hills on Tuesday, Oct. 16.  The strong start has not surprised Croft, given the character of her team, and the relationship she has forged with them.

“With this group, right when that last game finished, they knew they didn’t want to go through that again,” Croft said before her team’s practice on Monday, Oct. 8. “They’re very hungry to get that first place trophy this year and really committed themselves this summer.”

With a roster featuring eight seniors and only two underclassman, leadership from players has been easy to come by for Croft.  The hunger to win it all hasn’t left the T-Birds, nor has their fun spirit for the game.

“This year’s team is a lot younger and a little unfamiliar with each other in terms of playing together,” said senior setter Courtney Bowen.  “But we’re much more fresh and have come together with a much better attitude and don’t expect what we’ve had (in the past).  We want to go out and accomplish and take our goals.  Last year, we expected the title, and this year, we want to work towards that.”

“This year we have more of mental game,” said senior outside hitter Jacey Watson.  “Last year we got a little ahead of ourselves.  This year, it’s all mental.”

Tumwater has won their league championship every year since 2004, and has earned a reputation across the area as one of the top programs in the state.  That reputation has put a target on the back of the Tumwater player’s jerseys, as opposing teams “get-up” for their matchup with the T-Birds.

“There’s been a few times where that reputation has come back.  Last year, I can look to the game at North Thurston.  They had some great weapons and we didn’t really have our A-Game that day and couldn’t match their intensity and the moment,” Croft said. “(That was our) only loss in league last year. So this year, our girls said they didn’t want that to happen again, so they go into every match with a focused attitude.”

“It really makes us fight every game because we know the other team is going to come out and play their hardest every game,” Bowen said.  “We’ve gotten used to that and it really challenges us.“

The recent run of success at Tumwater has instilled a sense of pride amongst the players.  This year’s senior class were in 8th grade when Tumwater last took home the state title, and playing for and amongst that tradition is a motivating factor.

“I think I got real fortunate when I first came in here, in that I immediately had some great athletes that bought in to the dream that every year, we’re shooting for that ultimate goal,” Croft said.  “Just to buy into those high expectations, and year after year it keeps progressing and the program has developed that way.”

“It’s so awesome just getting to see, when I was younger, the older players play. Getting to do what they did has been cool,” said Watson.

Playing for a coach like Croft, a former athlete at Tumwater herself, has been a dream come true for the players.

“It is the best thing ever,” Bowen said. “I come to practice with a smile on my face and I leave with one.  She’s our best friend but she also has that coach (presence too). I couldn’t imagine playing for anyone else.”

Along with intense workouts and in-depth teaching, Croft has created a fun atmosphere for her players, which allows the girls to play the game they love without a care.

“When we’re on the court, most teams play the best when they’re serious,” Bowen said. “We’ve got to be cracking jokes and having fun because when we’re having fun it shows how much we love the game.”

“Coach Croft, we know what she expects from us, but it’s so much fun being a part of this team, of this program,” said senior middle hitter Hannah Hanson. “It’s like a family and playing is much more enjoyable in that setting.”

The team also gives back to the community as well, and on Tuesday, Oct. 9, the T-Birds held a “Dig for the Cure” breast cancer awareness event that doubled as Tumwater’s straight set victory over Aberdeen.  Such events are a joy for the program, as the disease has hit close to the school.

“It’s so awesome because there are a lot of people that work in our school or that we know that have been affected by cancer,” Watson said.  “So it’s cool to dedicate that game to them.”

It’s clear that both players and coach remain unsatisfied with their success in recent years, something the coach learned from her father.

“I started coaching while I was still in college and I’ve always just bounced ideas off of him. The coolest part is that he bounces ideas off me, and it shows that no matter how long you’ve been in a position, you can always try and

Play-by-play high school football action can be heard on KGY AM 1240.

learn new things,” Croft said.  “He loves to get new ideas, and it really taught me that not everything I do is perfect and you can go out and see what other people are doing.”

For more information on the Tumwater High School Volleyball team, visit www.tumwatervolleyball.com.

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