Community Sports

Sports Beat | Cardinal steps down as Peninsula volleyball coach

Peninsula volleyball coach Katrina Cardinal has decided to step down after building one of the premier volleyball programs in the state.

Cardinal’s Seahawks went 24-3 in 2021-22 and placed second at the Class 3A state tournament, losing a hard-fought four-set match to Mead in the final.

Peninsula volleyball coach Katrina Cardinal and her daughter Kate the hold the Class 3A state tournament fifth-place trophy in 2023. Photo courtesy Peninsla volleyball

Cardinal starred for the Seahawks in volleyball, basketball and softball in the early 1990s. She went on to play volleyball for Green River Community College and Eastern Washington University, where she graduated with a bachelors degree in education in 1997.

Cardinal first coached Peninsula from 1998 to 2005, winning the Pierce County Coach of the Year award in 2004 before stepping back to raise a young family.

She returned to the sidelines in 2017, taking over after the Seahawks went winless the year before. Cardinal turned the program around, going 167-89 over eight years.

Cardinal won the state Class 3A Coach of the Year award after the 2021-22 season. She took her team back to the state tournament several times, including leading the Seahawks to fifth place in 2022-23.

Cardinal received the Frosty Westering Excellence in Coaching Award in 2024. She said the most important part of coaching are the relationships teammates form and how those become invaluable assets when athletes are faced with bigger life challenges.

“I truly believe that fostering mutual respect among teammates is essential for success,” Cardinal said. “I am convinced that the strength of a team lies in the quality of relationships built between teammates.”

Gig Harbor head volleyball coach Slade Klein had plenty of battles with the Cardinal. Opposing coaches often know what good looks like.

“Her teams were always well organized and absolutely vicious on defense,” Klein said. “You could tell her players bought in and were ready to fight for her. She developed the program from nearly the bottom of the league to consistently at the top, while competing for trophies at state.”

Peninsula Athletic Director Ross Filkins named Tommi Galluci, one of Cardinal’s former players, to replace her. Galluci, a hustling libero, graduated from Peninsula in 2021.

New Peninsula volleyball coach Tommi Gallucci. Photo courtesy Bellevue Community College volleyball

Gallucci was a four-year varsity player for Peninsula. Some of her skin is probably still stuck to the Peninsula hardwood after she made plenty of diving digs in her career.

Gallucci played at Bellevue Community College during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and began her coaching career as an assistant there the following season.

Tides keep it close against No. 3 Silas

The sixth-ranked Gig Harbor boys soccer team fell to No. 3 Silas, 1-0, at Roy Anderson Field on April 21.

The Rams beat the Tides 5-1 earlier this season, but Gig Harbor flipped the script in the rematch. They largely kept the visitors away from the nets, but just couldn’t get past a tough Rams defense.

The Gig Harbor 11 for their 1-0 loss to Silas. Photo courtesy Gig Harbor soccer

Silas ran out of Roy Anderson Field with the Puget Sound League Narrows Division regular season title in hand. But the Tides (9-2-1, 6-2 Puget Sound League) established that they can compete with Silas (12-1-1, 8-0). The two teams could well meet again in the league or district tournaments.

The Tides rebounded for a 1-0 road win over Lincoln (2-7-3, 1-5-2) on April 23.

Senior forward Eli Hanson scored for Gig Harbor. Tides center backs Cayden Desjardins and Ryan Ferguson were standouts on defense.

Fastpitch teams help each other out

The Peninsula fastpitch team did their crosstown rivals a favor on April 23, knocking off Narrows Division-leading Central Kitsap, 8-2. The Seahawks’ win over the Cougars allowed Gig Harbor to move into a first-place tie in the Narrows.

The Seahawks (13-2, 10-1 PSL) are seventh in the WIAA’s RPI rankings.

Sophomore Paige Jones leads Peninsula with .556 batting average, followed closely freshman Abby Hoyt at .514 and freshman Newby Wagner at .500.

Sophomore Paige Jones leads Peninsula with a .556 battinga average. Photo by Ben Griffin

Hoyt has smashed six home runs this year, while Izzy Michaels and Jones lead the team with six stolen bases.

On the mound, junior Vivien Sweet leads the team with a 1.00 ERA, with Wagner at 1.31 and Hoyt at 1.94.

No. 12 Gig Harbor returned the favor by defeating Timberline, 4-3, on April 24. That allowed Peninsula to move into a first-place tie with the Blazers in the Nisqually Division.

Timberline came in to the Gig Harbor game unbeaten in 11 Puget Sound League games.

The Tides (11-2, 10-2) fell behind 2-0 before the offense exploded with a massive third inning. Senior catcher Payton Cantrell doubled in two runs, junior first baseman Piper Harrison added an RBI double and freshman third baseman Brooklyn Harrison singled in the Tides’ final run.

The Gig Harbor fastpitch team after their win over Timberline. Photo courtesy Tides fastpitch

The Tides held on from there with some excellent defense in a tense seventh inning.

The win was the biggest yet for first-year coach Nick Devaney, a long time assistant to Jim Peschek. Peschek stepped down from coaching after last season.

The Tides play at Central Kitsap on April 29, a game that likely will decide the Narrows Division crown.

Peninsula plays Timberline in Lacey on May 6.