Thunder Mountain High School seniors gather for a picture prior to their last home game of the season against Juneau-Douglas on Friday night at TMHS. (Left to right): Kellie James, Tara Dymock, Leilani Eshnaur, Hannah Harvey, Kyra Jenkins Hayes, Sydney Lee, Alex Murray, Kiley Stevens, Marissa Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale, Audrey Welling, Coach Julie Herman. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Thunder Mountain High School seniors gather for a picture prior to their last home game of the season against Juneau-Douglas on Friday night at TMHS. (Left to right): Kellie James, Tara Dymock, Leilani Eshnaur, Hannah Harvey, Kyra Jenkins Hayes, Sydney Lee, Alex Murray, Kiley Stevens, Marissa Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale, Audrey Welling, Coach Julie Herman. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Seniors share spotlight with sisters, younger teammates

There’s a certain connection sisters Marissa and Mariah Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale share on the court.

Whether its Marissa setting the ball to Mariah, or Mariah bumping the ball to Marissa, the Thunder Mountain duo has been an electrifying pairing this season. It could be from their time playing at church, or at a volleyball camp in their native home of Hawaii. Or it may be — and this seems like the most plausible answer — it comes from being naturally-gifted and passionate volleyball players.

“We’ve just been playing together at church activities and so we know what we need to work on,” older sister Marissa Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale, 17, said. “We just look at each other and we know what we have to do. We know what we’re doing wrong, and we help each other even without talking.”

Marissa Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale was one of 10 seniors recognized on Friday night before the Falcons game against Juneau-Douglas. The other Falcons seniors include Audrey Welling, Leilani Eshnaur, Kyra Jenkins Hayes, Hannah Harvey, Alex Murray, Kiley Stevens, Tara Dymock, Kellie James and Sydney Lee.

The Tanuvasa-Tuvaifale sisters have been one key to Thunder Mountain’s success this season, but not the only one. TMHS coach Julie Herman said the seniors’ team-first mentality has been perhaps the biggest boon.

“We’ve been really fortunate this season to have really good leadership — whether they are sisters or not,” said Herman, who also coaches sisters Hannah and Sophia Harvey on the varsity team. “It’s pretty amazing to have these older girls that welcome anybody that wants to play at a high level. That’s been a precedent that’s been set in our program. It doesn’t matter your age.”

Sophomore Sophia Harvey played at a high level during the Juneau Invitational Volleyball Extravaganza, and was rewarded with more playing time.

“This year, you can see our team dynamic, it’s so close. You can see that in our playing,” she said. “Last year, we kind of played for ourselves and not so much for the team. But then this year, it’s always like, ‘Oh man, Audrey, that was a killer hit, do it again!’ and, ‘Man, Marissa, that was an amazing save, thanks for doing that for the team!’”

Seniors like Murray, a strong outside hitter, have played important roles on the team. Murray moved to town from Arizona the summer before her freshman year and barely knew anyone when she came out for the team. It didn’t take long to make friends on the court, which helped her rise to the varsity team.

“My first day, I actually didn’t want to come because I thought I was going to be cut (from the team),” Murray said. “Everywhere I lived before, you cut in sports, especially volleyball. I got here and (former coach) Arnold (Ibias) was like, ‘No we don’t cut anyone.’ So he paired me with Mary Landes … and Mary definitely helped the transition and always helped me when I had questions about volleyball.”

Time will tell whether the seniors will carry the team to their first state tournament. They’ve endured season-ending losses to JDHS two years running at the Region V Championships.

“The rivalry, it’s really not mean, it’s a very friendly rivalry I would say,” Welling said. “When they won regions last year I was disappointed and I wished that we would’ve won. But I was still able to smile and congratulate them because they are a team from Southeast and I was proud of them.”

JDHS honors four seniors

JDHS celebrated its senior night on Saturday. The JDHS seniors include Riley Stadt, Shaylin Cesar, Skylar Hickok and Miranda Mitchell. Read about their story in the Friday Empire.


• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.


More in Sports

Juneau’s two high school volleyball teams, Thunder Mountain High School and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, face off last Saturday at TMHS as they go through polar opposite seasons this year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Juneau’s volleyball teams going in opposite directions entering tournament play

TMHS is undefeated, JDHS winless as teams begin three-day Sitka competition.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Ida Meyer, right, wins the Sitka Invitational by a fraction of a second in front of Sitka junior Clare Mullin on Saturday. (James Poulson / Sitka Sentinel)
JDHS girls, boys crush Sitka course

Largest field in Southeast history sees Crimson Bears on top

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire
Athletes compete in a swim event Saturday afternoon at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center.
Records broken at weekend high school swim meet in Juneau

JDHS and TMHS coaches share optimism as season progresses.

Zack Bursell, left, stands with father John, right, after winning the Equinox Marathon in Fairbanks, Saturday, Sept. 16. (Photo courtesy Jamie Bursell)
Juneau’s Zack Bursell wins Equinox Marathon

Local runner finishes more than seven minutes ahead of runner-up at Fairbanks race

Tom Thompson and Klas Stolpe at the start of the 44-mile solo ultra during the 40th Annual Klondike Road Relay, Saturday, Sept. 9. Stolpe was running as team No One Fights Alone in support of his brother James who is fighting cancer. (Photo by Tom Thompson)
No one fights alone on the Klondike Road Relay

A victorious 44-mile solo quest among 1,800 participants at 40th annual Skagway-to-Whitehorse race

Colony High School running back Bryce Guzman (5) looks for room to run in a downpour during Friday night’s game against the Juneau Huskies at Adair-Kennedy Field. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Huskies lose 19-6 defensive struggle to Colony in title game rematch

Juneau takes early lead at home, but Colony rallies during occasionally heavy rain Friday night.

Runners ascend the old ski hill on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the start of the 2015 Equinox Marathon. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
Alaska Science Forum: Running over the same old ground

Oh my, it’s that time again. The Equinox Marathon starts with a… Continue reading

What do telemarketers do during the weekend? (Photo by Jeff Lund)
I Went to the Woods: Do telemarketers hunt for something besides human prey?

It’s Sam calling… As I discussed the critical moment at which the… Continue reading

Thunder Mountain High School players and spectators celebrate as the Falcons score the winning point to prevail in a five-set series over Ketchikan High School on Saturday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A drama-filled weekend as Juneau’s volleyball teams continue contrasting seasons

TMHS prevails in toughest game yet to stay undefeated; JDHS puts up fight seeking first win.

Most Read