Versatility key for Washington volleyball standout Sirena Peredo

Walk into Sirena Peredo’s family home and you will see a living room devoid of decorations.

There is a couch, a television and some baby toys.

This isn’t because the family lacks sentimentality or means to decorate, but rather a practical response to the hours the four Peredo children have spent playing volleyball inside the house.

“When everyone would come in, they’d ask where are the pictures and this and that,” Peredo said. “And we’d say, ‘Oh, those all get knocked down.’ ”

The hours spent playing volleyball pepper in a tight space has helped the Washington High School sophomore to be one of the best passers in the state.

“We used to have family pictures and decorations, but almost every day I’d come home to a broken frame or something knocked down,” said Emily Peredo, Sirena’s mom. “It definitely does great for ball control. Her stats definitely show that. We still have our ceiling fan and all the light bulbs in our chandelier. It’s definitely not a gym, but it works.”

Peredo, who is 5-foot-5, mainly plays outside hitter for the Patriots, but is so versatile she can play anywhere on the court.

“I use her at (defensive specialist) as well as outside hitter,” Washington coach Paul Souza said. “I move her to middle on defense because she can hit very well on the back row and she is the best passer on our team.

“She is a (NCAA) Division I talent. She will probably end up as a DS or libero at a Division I school because of her height, but at Division II or Division III she could play anywhere she wants.”

Peredo and her teammates are off to a 3-1 start in this COVID-19 pandemic-abbreviated season which will not have a state tournament, but rather a matchup between the top two Class 2A South Puget Sound League teams for the league title.

Washington is coming off of a third-place finish at the 2A state tournament in 2019, the first trophy the program has claimed since winning the state title in 1977.

Peredo, who was second-team all-state last season, was a key part of the tournament team along with first-team all-state players Moeshana Maiava, Eliana Luteru and Noelani Souza.

The Patriots have been to the state tournament three seasons in a row.

Paul Souza said the Peredo family is a big reason the program has turned into a perennial state qualifier as Sirena is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Tasi, in being a dominant outside hitter.

“She has that it factor of volleyball IQ that most kids don’t have,” said Souza, who also coaches Peredo in club volleyball. “She isn’t the tallest kid … but you know what? She can hit balls over 6-foot blockers. She is a smart player who is not all about power. She puts balls in locations that a lot of people can’t get to.”

Peredo, who was born in Florida and moved to Tacoma at a young age to be closer to family, has been on the court nearly her entire life. Her mom, Emily, played the sport with her sisters growing up in Guam and the family always seems to be talking about the sport or playing it.

“It has always been the sport to go to,” Sirena said. “I remember going to tournaments early in the morning with my sister and I’ve loved the game ever since. I’ve always worked hard toward getting better and staying humble and creating a better team.”

She started playing club ball when she was 12 years old and always has played with a team two years older than her, which helped prepare her for her freshman season and the pressure of a starting role in high school.

Peredo passed with flying colors, helping lead the program to the trophy platform.

“No matter what position she is in, she is smart, she is hard-working and I feel like that is what makes her good,” said Noelani Souza, a senior setter who has played with Peredo for years. “It’s not just how hard she hits or how fast she is, but how smart she is on the court.”

That ability on the court has her and her family thinking of a college scholarship and a chance to play at a high level.

And to think, it all started in a bare living room.

This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.