Playing in Paradise

Senior Volleyball players Seanna Demontiney and Lainey Gregory were asked to join the Valier Volleyball team this summer for a week of playing volleyball in Honolulu, Hawaii! Both girls felt honored to be asked. They will be in Honolulu July 7th through the 14th. Oliva King, a player from North Star, message Lainey about the opportunity, and the Valier Coach asked both of the girls if they wanted to play with the Valier team.

NoKaOi's Annual Volleyball Camp has been an annual event in Honolulu for 21 years. When you see the phrase "no ka oi" following a name or noun, or even a gerund, it would mean roughly "[is] indeed the best." They will spend a full week in Honolulu, Hawaii, playing volleyball. Lainey Gregory said, "I'm honestly so excited. I don't know if it's because I get to play volleyball again or because it's in Hawaii"!

It's a wonderful way to end a volleyball career. Six years of hard work, a lot of time and energy. They will get to meet up with other athletes from the state of Montana and other states, as well. The camp is attended by college volleyball coaches who are coming from all over the country to watch them play. There are opportunities to get recruited to play volleyball at the next level. They will practice during the week, but they will also compete and play in the Ultimate NoKaOi Honolulu Tournament at the end of the week.

But it won't be all work. Both Seanna and Lainey will get to explore and experience the beautiful Big Island of Honolulu. They'll see and most likely hike the Diamond Head Crater. They are several beautiful falls there; one of them, Manoa Falls, is only a 20 minutes hike. All tours go to the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor. They'll visit the North Shore and in the summer, most likely come home with a sunburn. There are lots of beaches, and I wonder if they will try their legs out on any of the ocean sports like surfing, diving, and snorkeling.

Waikiki is Honolulu's largest shopping area. They are sure to go there.

Both girls are raising funds to help pay for the opportunity. Lainey will have a table at the Christmas Stroll Bazzar, where she will be selling a variety of craft items and have a raffle. Stop by and congratulate her.