Gig Harbor female athlete of the year: Yerex stars on volleyball court for Tides

You wouldn’t guess that the leader of Gig Harbor High School’s volleyball team’s sideline dance parties came to high school with a lack of confidence.

But that was Chloe Yerex as a freshman.

As a senior outside hitter, she is a four-year varsity player and two-year captain for the volleyball team, a soon to be student-athlete at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and a co-Most Valuable Player for the 4A South Puget Sound League.

“I really kicked it off playing my freshman year playing with my sister, Hannah, and her friends that I’ve known for so long,” Chloe said. “It was really cool getting to build our program back up with, still as of now, a pretty young team. And it was really cool transitioning from a low position as a freshman to stepping in as a leader on and off the court. I started new traditions like having a little dance circle before all of our games.”

Anyone that has played with or seen her on the court understands how talented Chloe is. No matter the situation or opponent, she would be the member of the Tides that stepped up and chased down every ball she could. And she expected the same from her teammates and made sure they knew it, too.

The continued high level of play that she put forth year after year earned her All-League honors from the 3A South Sound Conference in 2018, All-Area 2nd team from the Tacoma News Tribune in 2019 and again, co-MVP of the 4A SPSL in 2021.

Chloe Yerex is The Peninsula Gateway’s Female Athlete of the Year from Gig Harbor High School.

“It’s been amazing, especially to see her grow from a freshman,” said coach Melissa Klein. “She was on varsity as a freshman but didn’t really play her position that much. But she did come in at a state volleyball tournament and did amazing as a freshman coming in part way through a game, and finished out the match helping us get the win. She works so hard, she plays club too, so she’s always playing volleyball.”

Chloe brought a unique level of flexibility to the Tides where she could slide into any position on the court and do it well. If Klein needed a setter for the season, Chloe could do it. Or if there was need for a hitter, then she would step into that role as well.

No matter where she was lined up, the competitiveness in Chloe was enough to take over any game the Tides were playing. She was an absolute force on the court, and her teammates tried to match her intensity because she commanded that level of respect from them.

She could score from just about anywhere, as well. In this past season alone, Chloe’s serving was a near consistent source of points for the Tides. She was a relentless player by never giving up on any ball that may have gone beyond her spot in the back row.

“She’s naturally talented, but she’s also worked super hard just to become the player she is today,” Klein said. “As a leader, if Chloe is doing really well on the court, then the other girls are going to follow. Because she is super talented and hard to stop when she is on… Chloe stands out because she can do more than just set, she can set and hit, which is really nice. Her stats were off the charts in terms of points she earned for the team.”

Of course one of her biggest influences on and off the court is her older sister, Hannah. They shared one year of high school volleyball together.

Even though she wasn’t getting playing time yet her freshman year, Hannah always made sure to keep Chloe’s head up and learn from her as well. Constantly providing sibling encouragement, Hannah helped turn around Chloe’s freshman year and contributed to the growth she would have in later years.

And even though Hannah plays beach volleyball team at the University of Washington, things almost feel normal again as the Yerex sisters are playing volleyball on the same level of competition.

“It was just really cool walking around the halls and seeing her and her friends,” Chloe said. “We were at the state tournament and I got subbed into the match. It was such an impactful moment for me. It was like one of the moments out of a movie where everything went silent and the only thing I could focus on was my sister. She came over to me, looked me in the eye as serious as she’s ever been and said ‘you got this’.”

Perhaps the biggest thing that seperates Chloe from any other athlete this year has been her empathy. She is someone that has developed a lot of great relationships with just about everyone at Gig Harbor.

Whether it’s staff or fellow students, Chloe can be counted on for a pleasant greeting. That level of human connection means more to her as a person than any award that can be given based on merit.

It’s her example that will leave a lasting impression on teammates, coaches, teachers, anyone that is a part of Gig Harbor. She certainly has come a long way since unconfident days in her freshman year.

“I hope other people see me for who I am as a person, rather than any sort of accomplishment academically or physically that I achieved at Gig Harbor,” Chloe said. “It’s more important to me that others recognize how I treated other people and care about other people. My focus has been more on my character than my accomplishments.”