Peters: Playing At Home For Family Beats Division 1 Path
By Jack Danilewicz
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Michele ‘Tuli’ Peters
The work ethic that has helped to make Michelle “Tuli” Peters one of the top Division II volleyball players in the nation wasn’t learned within the athletic arena, but rather within her own home.
“Volleyball wasn’t love at first sight for me - I was a soccer freak - but my mom (Mary) kept supporting me with it,” said Peters, a standout for the Brigham Young University-Hawaii team. “She’s a mother, teacher, coach, my everything.
“My father passed away 10 years ago, and so my mom raised us,“she explained.“She had to work super hard to support us. She went back to school, and now she works. She taught me to be disciplined, and when I was in Fresno (playing Division I volleyball), she would call every day to see how I was doing, how practice went, our match . . .”
Peters has been enjoying her strong family ties once again this fall, having transferred from Fresno State following last season in the wake of the firing of Bulldogs coach Lindy Vivas. Peters immediately opted to return to the Laie community where she had grown up rather than pursue other Division I options. Coming out of high school, she had been heavily recruited by Northwestern, among other schools, and would have been a hot commodity following two stellar seasons in Fresno.
“My mom asked me if I wanted to (look into other DI schools), but I love being able to play in front of my family,“said Peters.“The community here really supports us, too. It’s a feeling I couldn’t get anywhere else. I liked being on my own, but there was always that part of me that missed home. I missed my family, the food (I’m in love with Laie chop suey), I love the beach, the island.”
Peters’ impact on the Seasider team was immediate. Already a three-time Pacific West Player of the Week this season, Peters currently leads the Seasiders with 5.96 kills and 4.02 digs per outing. Entering the weekend, BYUH was still undefeated at 14-0 and ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Division II West Regional Rankings.
The Seasiders have won 10 national titles under coach Wilfred Navalta, and their current team has prompted comparisons to those teams.
“It (winning a national championship) all depends on who’s willing to work for it,” said Peters. “I think we’re a team willing to work for it. We have faith in our coaches and in our system. We just have to play ‘Sider’ volleyball. The two areas we have to maintain are our defense and our serving, which has come around.”
A decade ago, Peters would have seemed a good bet to play college soccer. She hadn’t yet played basketball or volleyball, two sports she went on to excel in at Kahuku High School.
“I played soccer because it was the closest sport to football - that’s why I liked it,” said Peters, who stopped playing soccer following her sophomore year of high school.“All of my uncles had played at Kahuku.
“I had played AYSO (youth soccer) since I was 7 years old, when I attended a volleyball practice at the end of eighth grade,” she continued.“I was one of the first members of the North Shore volleyball club. I became a lot taller - I’d like to say I’m 6-foot - but I’m actually 5-9 and three-quarters. My skills improved and (then my interest in) soccer kind of withered away.”
Under coach Mona Ah-Hoy, the Kahuku girls volleyball program has blossomed in recent years, winning the state championship in 2002 in addition to Oahu Interscholastic Association titles four of the last five years. It was the experience of Kahuku’s 2002 state title run that had a big impact on Peters, who played a large role in that team’s success.
“We started to get a lot of recognition when we were winning, and my concentration was better,” said Peters. “I started getting recruited by colleges, and I began to think that volleyball was the thing for me.”
If she had ever lacked confidence in her volleyball abilities, Mary Peters had enough for both her daughter and herself.
“Even today, she still tells me after the game what I did well or what I did wrong in a match,“Peters said.
“I do what I can to make her proud. She deserves it.”
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