By Joshua Nishimoto

Tori Pelkey Small Steps to Big Steps: A leader and student-athlete of the future

Unlike most of us, Tori Pelkey has spent most of her life playing volleyball (since the third grade). And although Pelkey just completed her senior year at Sandpoint High School, her journey has just begun. In the fall of 2022, Pelkey has plans to continue her education at Spokane Falls Community College (SPCC) while simultaneously continuing her volleyball career as a student-athlete for the college.

“My goal for my future career is to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and someday become a therapist!” Tori said. “I want to help people. I want to be the type of person that people feel comfortable sharing their feelings with, so I can help them with what they’re going through.”

Although Tori expressed her excitement about joining the Sandpoint High School Volleyball team during her sophomore year, she confessed that she did a lot of growing during the last three years.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced in my sport was confidence,” she said. “Having confidence in myself and knowing how to create an impact with my skills was a hard struggle that I had to work through. But with the help of my coaches and teammates, I became a well-rounded and confident player.”

For Tori, joining varsity volleyball during her sophomore year of high school was a big step. Through hard training and the support from her coaches and teammates, she has grown into a leader.

“When Tori started playing for me, she was so shy and quiet but ended up being our kill leader and captain!” said Sandpoint High School Coach Karen Alsager. “She made First Team All-Conference this year as well. Tori is going to play locally for SPCC, and she will do extremely well there. I couldn’t be prouder of this young lady and the woman she has become. We cannot replace her and will miss her terribly on the court.”