Championship volleyball

KAYSVILLE — Kayla Walker's father knew his little girl was going to be tall, so he signed her up for basketball at a very young age.

"I was a tall girl, and he didn't want me to be uncomfortable with my height," said the Davis High senior. "I'd played basketball for a long time, but once I started playing volleyball, I didn't want to do anything else."

Her father, Greg Walker, was a bit disappointed with the decision to leave basketball, but she said her parents have been very supportive of her year-round commitment to volleyball.

On Sunday, Walker and her High Country Club volleyball teammates undertake a difficult but very exciting task. They will vie for the most prestigious honor at this year's Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Championships — the open 18s title.

To qualify for that division, a team must place in the top three at one of the regional qualifiers. There are three levels of play with Open being the highest, National is the next level, and then the American Division. The teams qualify in divisions based on the tournaments in which they play.

The tournament will feature 756 teams and 11,500 volleyball players ages 12-18 playing in different age categories and different divisions. In addition to Walker's High Country squad, 17 other Utah teams are hoping to earn national honors.

It is the third time Utah has been chosen to host the event, which organizers estimate will have a $43 million impact on the state as thousands of players, families, officials and coaches gather to watch some of the most competitive volleyball in the country.

High Country 18s coach Kim Norman has to wear two hats for the next two weeks, that of organizer and coach.

"It's a little more difficult when you host as well as play in the tournament," she said with a laugh. "I have to make sure we have all of our ducks in a row. But we don't play until the last four days of the tournament, so that helps in allowing us to get everything in order before I have to change hats."

Norman has help on the sideline in one of the most over-qualified assistants around — Viewmont High volleyball coach Lori Salvo. The University of Utah graduate has coached for 24 years and has won state titles in 2001 and 2002. She was named one of the top 100 athletes in Utah, won nine all-conference awards, was an All-American basketball player and is a member of the U. Hall of Fame.