Jennifer Schuman describes herself as a 'backwoodsy outdoors' girl. So it made sense when her family decided to move to Coeur d'Alene from Tacoma in June of 1999.

"We just wanted to get a smaller city atmosphere so we could spend more time together, and avoid the big-city problems," Schuman said. "My parents made the sacrifices to give me a better life to grow up in."

Schuman's father, Dale, gave up his job as an attorney in the move.

"My dad took a pay cut to bring us here," Schuman said. "But he got a new job and it has allowed him to spend more time with us. And I think he is very happy with that."

Coeur d'Alene quickly became a comfortable home for Schuman, who made friends in a hurry and became involved in a number of athletics, including volleyball.

When she began playing intramural volleyball in the sixth grade, Schuman said she never really saw anything coming from it.

"You kind of just go into the gym and say, 'Hey, here's a volleyball' and just kind of hit it around a little bit," Schuman said. "I really didn't think too much into it."

But Schuman kept with the sport, eventually deciding to pursue a spot on the Lake City High School team.

As a freshman swing player (a starter on junior varsity, but a non-starter on varsity), Schuman decided it would be beneficial for her to play club volleyball in Spokane.

“I went there to get a more intense, college atmosphere,” Schuman said.

Schuman came back her sophomore year and made the varsity as a starter under first-year coach Bret Taylor.

“It was a lot of fun coming in and getting that starting position with a whole new coach,” Schuman said. “There was a whole new set of girls ... it was so much fun.”

Now a 5-foot-10 senior setter/outside hitter, Schuman helped lead the Timberwolves to their first 5A Region 1 championship since 2005.

And her coach has been there every step of the way.

“What a leader,” Taylor said. “She is willing to do whatever it takes to go above and beyond what you’d expect from her. She’ll hit the floor if she needs to, and she hits the ball like she means it. Her confidence has improved and she continues to grow and get better.”

Schuman said volleyball is something she’d like to pursue at the collegiate level. Colleges pursuing her include Carroll College (Helena, Mont.), Colorado College (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Western New England University (Springfield, Mass.) and Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.).

“I’m serious in this sport now and I might as well keep going as far as I can go,” Schuman said. “I am not ready to be done with it yet.”

Schuman said proximity to her family could be a deciding factor in which school she chooses.

“Honestly, I’m going to probably stay close to home,” she said. “My parents have always been my backbone. They’ve supported me through it all and been to all of my games so I want to go somewhere where they can still come catch a game or two.”

After making state for eight consecutive years, the Timberwolves clinched their first berth since 2007 with a win over Post Falls in the 5A Region 1 tournament championship match last Saturday at Lake City High School.

In the 2007 tournament, Lake City defeated Capital in the opening round before falling to eventual state champion Eagle in the second round. The Timberwolves defeated Boise in the third round and had their tournament run ended a round later by Highland.

The Timberwolves come in with a 19-5 overall record led by a group of veterans.

Schuman, junior setter/outside hitter Kylie Curtis and senior setter Camille Rounds have played a pivotal part in Lake City’s success.

Curtis had 26 kills, 12 assists and six aces in the win over Post Falls. Schuman had 12 kills and seven aces. Rounds had 24 assists, and Taylor said Rounds’ ability to put the ball where it needs to be plays a big part in the success of Curtis, Schuman and the rest of the team.

Lake City opens 5A state tournament play Friday against Vallivue at 10 a.m. at Coeur d’Alene High School.

Joining the Timberwolves at state will be the Trojans of Post Falls, who posted a 30-7 record this season and clinched their third consecutive state berth by defeating Lewiston in the second-place match Saturday.

Post Falls meets Eagle at 3 p.m. Friday. Eagle has won four of the past five state championships.

After winning its opening matchup against Centennial in the 2009 tournament, Post Falls fell to Eagle in straight sets.

But the Trojans got their revenge last year, defeating Eagle in three sets. Post Falls then defeated 5A Inland Empire League foe Lewiston in the consolation championship.

Similar to Lake City, the Trojans are led by a veteran bunch, including seniors Ashley Jibby, Tori Bertsch, Jazmin Chavez and Allison Meehan.

“One of the great things about our team is that we have four seniors who have been playing together for a long time,” Post Falls coach Willow Hanna said. “I think they kind of know the drill. They are those kinds of players. Ashley, Tori and Allison have been together on varsity for three years, they play club and they continue to improve their game. I think that kind of consistency is what you want from your seniors.”

Jibby had 27 total kills in two matches during the 5A Region 1 tournament. Bertsch had 43 total assists, Meehan nine total blocks and four aces in the win over Lewiston.

Rocky Mountain of Meridian is the defending champion. Vallivue of Caldwell, an A-2 contender through the 1980s, qualified for state for the first time since 2000.