THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Trading shirts, jellyfish, volleyball and more ... three Coeur d’Alene Vikings did a little of everything en route to winning an international tournament in Croatia

Rising Coeur d’Alene High seniors Gianna Callari, Kaylee Paulson and Camryn Farrar were understandably thrilled last year when they learned that their regional club volleyball team, the College Preparatory Academy U17 squad, would be playing in an international tournament in Croatia this summer. 

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, heck yeah,” Paulson said.  

“I was so excited, because that’s like an unreal experience,” Callari said. 

“I was shocked — didn’t think I’d ever get an opportunity to do anything like that,” Farrar said. 

Their journey went from Spokane to Seattle to Paris to Vienna to Maribor, Slovenia to Pula, Croatia, where the CPA squad, called CPA USA at this tourney, won five matches to capture the championship in the 42-team U17 division. 

Callari, a middle blocker who played right side on the CPA team, was named tournament MVP. Originally from Southern California, Callari has verbally committed to play at NCAA Division II Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego in 2026. 

“Gianna was a terminating attacker and blocker all tournament, as well; she played excellent defense and served extremely tough," said Jill Benson, who along with Wade Benson coached the CPA team. “She also brought great energy and leadership, huge celebrations and great support for her teammates every point.” 

Paulson and Farrar, outside hitters, also played key roles. 

“Kaylee and Camryn were a crucial part of our serve receive being highly consistent all tournament,” Benson said. “Kaylee was the team captain, being the only player to play every point of the tournament, which she did with a calm consistency. Camryn played excellent defense, patrolling our backcourt and providing some amazing digs in key moments.” 

Paulson has committed to Montana. Farrar is still weighing her college options. 

THE CPA USA team was essentially the CPA U17 team — with the addition of three players were on the CPA U16 squad, and one player from Montana — who filled in for the U17 team members unable to go to the tournament. 

The CPA USA team practiced together for three days before leaving for the tourney. 

“It was kind of easy to get along with the girls,” Callari said. “Our club team was already connected, so the few girls we added, we already knew who they were, because some of them were on the 16s team and we practice with the 16s team all the time. So we already had chemistry with them, so it was real easy to get along and connect and play together.” 

First, there was two days and one night in Vienna for the team. 

“It was more architecturally insane,” Paulson said. “Crazy cathedrals; it was beautiful.” 

"I took so many pictures and I sent them to my parents,” Callari added. “It was crazy because we do not have buildings like that. 

"The people were all very nice. I didn’t have a bad interaction,” Farrar said. 

Then, it was four days and three nights in Maribor, Slovena, where the CPA team trained with the other international teams that would be in the tournament. 

The hotel the team stayed at included gyms, where they practiced — with a rubber ball, mostly used in the men’s international game. 

“The three days we trained, we trained with those balls,” Callari said. “And if you do serve receive, your arms are so red afterward.” 

Then it was off to Croatia for the tournament, called the Global Challenge, which took place in mid-July. 

There, the CPA team won three group matches, all by 3-0 set scores. In the semifinals, CPA beat Club Italia Del Sud 2-0. In the finals, after dropping its first set of the tournament, CPA defeated Club Italia Del Centro 3-1 for the title. 

“Just a different vibe,” Farrar said. “You walk into the gym and you see all these teams from different countries, and there’s people you don’t even know rooting for you.” 

"The championship game, everybody was rooting for us,” Callari added. 

After the awards ceremony, it was back to the hotel where the teams stayed for a post-tournament party — where players from other countries lined up to trade shirts with the CPA players — game shirts, and practice shirts. 

“Our whole team felt like celebrities,” Farrar said. “I was shocked; I was like, ‘You want my jersey that bad?’” 

One of the players estimated she gave away seven shirts. 

“I loved it (Croatia),” Callari said. “The people were nice, and the food was so good.” 

"I loved the downtown,” Paulson added. “There was a gigantic coliseum there that had been there since like 27 B.C. It was amazing how old the structures were. The coast was beautiful.” 

WELL, EXCEPT for one thing. 

“On the first day we went down there, in our floaties, swimming in the water, and we were like 'Whoa! This water feels so weird,’” Farrar said. “What is in the water? You would pick up your hand and there were tiny jellyfish everywhere.” 

"You would swim and there would be three (jellyfish) on each hand, or four on each hand,” Paulson said. 

"Everyone (from the other countries) was swimming like no one cared,” Farrar added. “We were freaking out.” 

"Nobody was getting stung and everybody was in the water, and everybody was acting normal,” Paulson said. 

"People were acting like this is normal, so maybe it was normal,” Farrar said. 

Nevertheless, the players found another area to swim in the next day, where there were no jellyfish. 

OTHERS ON the CPA USA team included Janae Demant (Mead High), who was named to the all-tournament team, as well as Emma Krogh (Kamiah High), Noella Migliuri (Gonzaga Prep), Ryan Libey (Ridgeline High), Greta Van Gemert (Freeman High), Aurie Duncan (Hamilton, Mont., High) and Kennedy Varda (Gallatin, Mont., High). 

Libey, Krogh and Van Gemert were on the CPA U16 team; Varda was on a club team in Bozeman. 

After the tournament, the team spent a day in Venice before heading home. 

Now back home and preparing for their final season of high school volleyball, Callari, Paulson and Farrar are hoping their international experience can pay off this fall as Coeur d’Alene, which tied for fifth last year, looks to make a run at a state title this fall. 

“CPA teaches you so much stuff outside of volleyball, like connecting with people outside of volleyball,” said Callari, who played volleyball and soccer at Coeur d’Alene High the past two seasons, but is concentrating on volleyball this fall. “Since we’ve been on the same club team, we can come back to the high school team and show the girls what it’s all about.”

“Bringing all the energy and love into the group, and carrying it on to the (Viking) team,” Farrar added. 

“Setting the standard for what we want to create at CHS,” Paulson said. 

Minus the jellyfish, of course. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.