Few high school volleyball teams can claim they’ve played at the northern tip of the continent, let alone capped off their tournament run with a leap into the Arctic Ocean. But that’s exactly how the Seward Seahawks spent their Halloween weekend, braving both a packed game schedule and the bone-chilling waters of Utqiaġvik during the annual Whaler Invite at Barrow High School.
The tournament drew seven teams from across Alaska for two intense days of round robin matchups. Seward wasted no time making a statement, besting the Nome Nanooks Varsity 25-15 in the opening match on Thursday. The night’s only stumble came against the host Barrow Whalers’ Varsity, who edged Seward 25-15, but the Seahawks rebounded in the late game to defeat Nome’s JV squad 27-25.
Friday brought no letup. Seward faced three back-to-back matches on Halloween, squeezing in wins against Wasilla (25-22), Barrow Nanooks JV (25-22), and Lathrop from Fairbanks (25-22). While the competition was stiff, the festivities weren’t lost on the players. A chicken claimed the best costume, evidently popular enough to get the crowd’s vote.
Finishing round robin play with five wins and just one loss, the Seahawks earned themselves a shot at bracket play Saturday, starting with another showdown against Barrow JV. It was the Whalers Varsity, though, who proved the toughest hurdle, toppling Seward and moving on to the championship against Lathrop. The Seahawks ultimately landed in fourth place overall.
Seward’s Mikinley Williams received All-Tournament honors for standout play across the weekend.
“The girls had an amazing time. They played very well, even though the turnout (in Utqiagvik) wasn’t what we had hoped for, they played amazing and had a good warm up for our region tournament this coming weekend.”
Coach Kurtz
But Utqiaġvik wasn’t all volleyball nets and court shoes. On a rare break from the gym, the Seahawks found themselves at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, lining up for the locally famous Top of the World Polar Bear Jump. With air temps well below freezing and the water at a teeth-chattering 35.8 degrees, players leapt off a snowy bank and into the frigid surf—tougher even than Seward’s own Polar Bear Jump back home.
The team capped the trip with a photo op beneath the gigantic skull of a bowhead whale, harvested in the 1960s and now part of the University of Alaska Museum of the North’s exhibit. These are the kind of memories that come from traveling to the top of the world.
The Seahawks are set to take the court this weekend at the Region IV Tournament, hosted by Houston High School. Their first matchup comes against Grace Christian at 1:30 p.m. this evening. Eight teams will be battling for a coveted spot in the State Championship Tournament, with play continuing through the weekend. By Saturday night, we’ll know which four teams will be moving on to compete for the state title next weekend in Anchorage.
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