Community Sports

Beach volleyball games keep Crescent Creek Park jumping all summer

As the summer season continues to supply abundant sunshine, Gig Harbor is alive with sporting activities and eager participants who are outside getting much needed exercise.

Two outdoor beach volleyball courts at Crescent Creek Park, on the corner of Crescent Valley Drive and 96th Street, provide one place to do that.

On a recent Wednesday night, about 15 people, ranging in age from 15 to 45, played a friendly pick-up beach volleyball game. A week earlier, about 40 people played or waited to play on the sandy surface.

Peninsula graduate Sam Friesen spike one down recently at Crescent Creek Park. Photo by Dennis Browne

Local volleyball talent

Volleyball is a local favorite, with many talented players coming from this area. Both high schools had teams at the state tournament last year. Peninsula narrowly missed a state championship in 2021, placing second.

Beach volleyball rose in popularity in the late 1980s, when the duo of Randy Stoklos and Sinjin Smith bumped and spiked their way onto the national scene. Both players caused quite a stir in the early ’90s, when they played at an AVP pro tour stop at Alki Beach in Seattle to appreciative and overflowing crowds.

Now, beach volleyball is a hugely popular game and an Olympic sport. It hit new heights in 2012, when Americans Kerri Walsh and Misti May won Olympic gold. Collegiate players can earn scholarships in the sport and courts are packed up and down both coasts.

‘This place is perfect’

The 14 people who played 7 on 7 in Gig Harbor may not have been ready for the Olympics, but they showed a variety of skills that kept the pace quick and enjoyable.

One was Sam Friesen, an 18-year-old former Peninsula High student who will attend UW-Tacoma this fall. He is relatively new to the game, but enjoys the friendly people who gather occasionally at Crescent Creek. Friesen  sure would appreciate a couple more courts to play on as well.

“We have a few group texts going around that we use to know when people will be playing or you can just drop in as well,” Friesen said. “Sometimes one court is a challenge court used for 2 on 2 teams while the other court can have games of eight players on each side.

“I can’t blame players for wanting to play two on two but it does limit how many people can get on the courts. We love it here and this place is great, but it would be nice if the city could add a couple more courts here. There is definitely the need for them.”

He describes a safe place that is free from alcohol or drugs and filled with players who enjoy the sport and one another.

“It’s not easy to find a place in Gig Harbor that kids my age can go to, but this place is perfect,” Friesen said.

Rhys Bentley quickly takes her shoes off so she can enter a upcoming game. Photo by Dennis Browne

Beach volleyball vets and newbies

Another Peninsula student, Rhys Bentley, excitedly runs onto the sand after her summer job had finished for the day. She flashes an excited smile as she quickly takes off her Converse hightop sneakers and does a couple light stretches while awaiting a new game.

She got involved when someone from her youth group invited her. Now she plays every chance she gets.

“It’s a great place to go, a good workout and everybody is so nice,” Bentley said.

The tall, angular Bentley got on the court and promptly delivered an overhand, first-serve ace to the delight of her new teammates.

One player who has been on the courts for seven years is Gig Harbor High School senior Brody Workman. His experience shows, as he made several nice plays before saying how much he enjoys the courts.

“All you need to know is, I’m the best player out here,” he joked, as the group around him erupted with laughter.

From left, Sam Friesen, Mia Murray and Jacob Baurichter rest between games. Photo by Dennis Browne

Beach volleyball amenities

As you look around the courts, one notices all the amenities required for a great outdoor court. A wooden fence, equipped with a net on top, keeps errant shots on the court. A water fountain pours out clear, cold water. The city of Gig Harbor maintains a portable bathroom, two comfortable benches are buried right up to the sand level, and a convenient hose is available to water down the sand on hot, windy days.

Whoever had a hand in building these courts, which are over a decade old, had a clear passion and love for the game.

Many of these players are now benefitting from the hard work of others from the past.

The players were excited about the chance to attract more players in the fall to the courts, before the rainy season comes. They play into October, weather-permitting. One player advised anyone interested to join  the Gig Harbor beach volleyball group on Facebook, which has 175 members.

“It’s great to be outside and active, you have to take advantage of the sun while it’s still out,” said Peninsula junior Jacob Baurichter. “This is my first summer playing but I like it, it’s fun. … This is the place to be.”

Players enjoy a pickup beach volleyball game at Crescent Creek Park in Gig Harbor.