NDB’s Peters ‘Queen’ of the beach

There happened to be some sand volleyball courts at the resort where Peters was staying and she wandered over and starting talking with the court directors.

“They said, ‘You can join us if you want,’” Peter said. “I played for a couple days down there and, when I got home, I looked into beach volleyball (locally).”

And in a few short years, the Tulane-bound Peters is rapidly rising the beach volleyball ranks. Last weekend, Peters participated in the third annual Evitational Queen of the Beach tournament at Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles County — basically the cradle of the sport. Having spent plenty of time training in Southern California, Peters has already developed a reputation among the who’s who of beach volleyball — she trains with longtime pro Holly McPeak and was more or less personally invited to the tournament by its founder, Eric Fonoimoana, who won beach gold at the 2000 Olympics in Australia.

They must know talent when they see it because Peters went an impressive 11-1 over the two-day tournament in winning the title.

Unlike traditional team tournaments, this one actually pitted player versus player in a team environment. In each pool of four players, each would rotate around and play with every other girl in the group. Players earned points based on their set point differential. If a team won a set by two points, 21-19 for example, each player on the winning team earned plus-2 points, while the members of the losing team were given minus-2 points.

Peters eventually accumulated enough points to earn the No. 4 seed in the final four — the only player from Northern California. She went 3-0 in her three championship matches to earn the title, becoming the first player from Nor Cal to do so.

“I was amazed (to win the tournament),” Peters said. “I had no clue what to expect, honestly. … I didn’t know who would show up, [which] girls would be there.

“I was happy to be just be playing, happy to be there. I had no clue I was winning the whole tournament. I was just there having fun.”

For Peters, having fun is the ultimate goal. It’s what drew her to volleyball — both versions — in the first place.

“(Having) fun is basically everything,” Peters said. “Winning is always great … but if it wasn’t any fun, I wouldn’t do it.”

Adding to Peters’ fun is the fact she can excel in a sports generally dominated by taller players. Peters has all the requisite skills to be a good volleyball player: tremendous leaping ability, a hammer for an attacking arm and great court awareness.

The one thing missing from Peters’ arsenal is height. At 5-7, she is consistently facing defensive front lines that could be 3 to 5 inches taller in the indoor game.

But on the sand, some of that height differential can be neutralized and with Peters’ talent and hard work, she gives herself a chance to win.

“I’m pretty short for the game. It’s better to play outdoors if you’re shorter. … Since I’m shorter, I have to be more tricky. I have to work a lot harder than some of the taller girls,” Peters said. “But I like to be short. It makes you work harder. … People will look up to your work ethic.”

Since Peters can’t train full time in So Cal, she has to get her workouts in the Bay Area, which previously meant driving to either West Valley College in Saratoga or the courts on the main beach in Santa Cruz.

But with Notre Dame having installed two new sand courts last week, Peters envisions getting even more time in the sand.

“It’s way better for me,” Peters said of the new courts on campus. “The courts are seven minutes from my house. I’m hoping to get some games there.”

In about two months, Peters will turn her attention to the indoor season. With a partial scholarship to Tulane to play beach volleyball, it would be perfectly understandable for Peters to sit out the indoor season.

But that’s just not the way Peters thinks.

“(Playing the high school season is) a good way to stay in shape, but I also love being with my teammates,” Peters said. “I love the game of volleyball, so any chance I can get on the court is good.”