SUBLETTE COUNTY – Pinedale High School alumni Jamie Streit, Class of 2021, made a mark on the volleyball court as an outside hitter for Lady Wranglers, delivering lethal kills over the net.

Streit is a three-time All-State honoree and scored All-Conference recognition four times. In 2020, she played a part in Pinedale’s championship victory at the 3A West Regional Tournament. The Lady Wrangler placed third at State in 2019 and 2020.

Streit’s talent caught the eye of the volleyball coaching staff at Idaho State University (ISU), and she is entering her sophomore year playing for the Bengals.

This summer, Streit took the sport to the international level and helped her teammates from colleges across the U.S. capture gold at the 17th Annual Global Challenge Volleyball Tournament in Pula, Croatia, on July 12-15, sponsored by Bring It Promotions.

“We all agreed as a team that our goal was to win gold from the beginning of the trip, so it was awesome that we were able to achieve our goal,” Streit told the Roundup.

In addition to a week of practice and the competition, Streit and the other players toured Slovenia and Croatia.

“Seeing new countries and experiencing their culture and food was fun,” Streit said. “All of that was unforgettable.”

A tournament to remember

Streit’s coach at ISU told her about the opportunity to play at the Global Challenge Tournament and encouraged Streit to participate.

Streit instantly said, “yes!”

Arriving in Europe for the first time in her life, Streit represented ISU on a squad made up of players from a diverse cross-section of American colleges and universities, including Pepperdine University, University of Virginia and American University. The players called themselves Team BIP (Bring It Promotions).

The athletes met for the first time in Croatia and only had a week of practice together before taking on other teams from the U.S., Slovenia and England, Streit explained.

Fortunately, Streit and the rest of the squad forged a strong team chemistry from the beginnning.

“We all hit it off really well,” she said. “We talked about how we felt like we were all on the same college team because we got along so well.”

Following five intense days of practice, the competition commenced. The first two days consisted of pool play, with Streit’s team taking on four different opponents. The top teams advanced to the next rounds, playing two games before the championship match.

Team BIP handily won the final game against a squad of American players, knocking out its opponent in three of five sets.

“I would definitely say (the finals) was our best game,” Streit said. “Everyone played their heart out and left it all on the court. We were definitely on a roll.”

Seeing the sights

Pula is located on the Adriatic Coast, providing opportunities for swimming in water slightly warmer than the glacial lakes in Sublette County, Streit said.

Pula contains many historic buildings, centered on an ancient, well-persevered Roman coliseum.

The young athletes also spent time in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.

Streit and her teammates visited the neighboring country of Slovenia. The group toured the capital, Ljubljana, before heading to the famous Lake Bled, swimming in the clear waters tucked high in the Julian Alps. A small island in the lake features a centuries-old church with a medieval castle on its shore.

“Slovenia was also beautiful,” Streit said. “It was filled with old buildings and history – lots of churches and sculptures.”

Streit gave a shoutout to former ISU head volleyball coach, Sammi Stuart, for inspiring her to play in an international tournament. She also thanked her parents for their support “and helping me get prepared” for the competition, along with her ISU teammates and friends from Pinedale.