The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé volleyball team will be honoring the senior members of their program when they host the state’s second-ranked Wasilla Warriors this weekend.
Varsity seniors Tatum Billings, Evelyn Richards and Nina Jeter, junior varsity senior Neveah Alexander and C team seniors Maxie Lehauli, Val Mausia, Sophia Perry and Olivia Hickman will be celebrated at 6:30 p.m. Friday, before the Crimson Bears play against Wasilla at 7 p.m. in the George Houston Gymnasium. The teams will also play at 4 p.m. Saturday.
“They are all great kids and a lot of fun to be around,” JDHS coach Jody Levernier said of her varsity trio. “They provide a lot of entertainment and laughter, and I think they really care about the team and everybody being together and working together and having a positive impact on the team.”
Levernier said Richards is called “old wise one” because “she just is very level-headed and whenever there is a little bit of drama going on she usually has something smartalecky to say to put an end to it. I love that about her.”
Levernier said Jeter “has been a solid player, working her way up through the ranks. Working hard all the time, came to all the open gyms just to keep getting better and better.”
Levernier said Billings “is kind of a hilarious kid and provides us with a lot of laughter. She is another one that works hard and just likes being a part of the team and kind of keeping everybody together. It is going to be a bummer when all three of them leave.”
Billings has been playing volleyball for four years.
“I really like the team atmosphere,” she said. “Especially since we’ve combined. It is a lot more fun, and we get to know each other more every day.”
Her favorite team memory was at the Sitka tournament last season and involved then-senior Finley Sullivan. The opposing team thought a ball was dead, “but it came over and hit Finley on the head and bounced over and got us a point.”
Her favorite food is spaghetti or beef stroganoff; favorite book is “Enemies” by Tijan Meyer; and favorite music is indie.
Her plans after high school include college prerequisites on the West Coast and then study for two years to be a radiology technician.
When not playing sports or studying she likes to “go outside and walk my dog Moose or hang out with friends.”
Richards has been playing volleyball for four years.
“I love just spending time with fun girls,” she said. “It is kind of like having built-in friends when you are on a team and spend so much time together.”
Her favorite team memory was also last season’s head score.
“The other team thought the ball was dead, and they stopped playing,” she said. “And then it bounced off of Finley’s head over the net, and we got the point and she got a kill off of her head.”
Her favorite food is chocolate chip cookies; favorite book is “Wacky Wednesday” by Dr. Seuss; and favorite music is Billy Joel.
Her plans after high school include traveling to Europe and working with kids.
When not playing sports or studying she likes to “snowboard and spend time with my family.”
Jeter has been playing volleyball for three years.
“I love about the team all the people we get to meet with,” she said. “Like you wouldn’t usually meet in school.”
Her favorite team memory was last year when senior Kai Scott “prank-called everybody and we would play this audio on YouTube and they would get really mad at us.”
Her favorite food is cheesecake; favorite book is “City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare; and she does not have a favorite type of music.
Her plans after high school include studying business in college.
When not playing sports or studying, “I am usually reading.”
JV senior Neveah Alexander said, “I plan to go to college in the Pacific Northwest, but not sure where yet. I don’t know what degree I will graduate with, however, my hope is to be somewhere in the medical field someday.”
C Team senior Val Mausia said, “After high school I am going to explore the world to find my career.”
C Team senior Maxie Lehauli said, “When I graduate I am going to serve my mission or travel the world.”
Wasilla will be the Crimson Bears’ toughest test of the season to date. The Warriors, with a 29-3-2 record, feature 6’4 senior middle hitter Layla Hays and, according to Maxpreps polls, are ranked second in the state behind Anchorage’s Dimond (30-4-3).
JDHS (8-17-4) is ranked 36th.
“We talked about it as a team,” Levernier said. “We are just going to have fun and play volleyball, and not stress too much about it being a win or loss, and just take away the things that we need to keep working on for the rest of the season, and celebrate the things that we do well and try to keep focusing on those things. It will be tough, but it will be fun, and I think it will show the girls what we have to look forward to for the rest of the season.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
