One of the biggest challenges for Muskogee volleyball coach John Hammer in getting his program to a competitive level among the Class 6A elite is building club-level volleyball talent.

When he took on the job of a brand new program four years ago, the only club he could’ve had was one he could swing. It was strictly start-from-scratch.

Last season, Galen Jernigan came along with a little bit of a resume, you might say. She’d been playing varsity-level volleyball since fifth grade.

That’s right. Fifth grade.

The 5-foot-9 Jernigan along with Raelee Perry are two of Hammer’s seniors. Both began playing volleyball in the fifth grade at Boulevard Christian School in Muskogee — Perry went on to transfer to Tahlequah High School in junior high. But Jernigan stayed with the Muskogee private school and learned the ropes against kids almost twice her age until transferring to Muskogee her junior year.

“It was kind of funny because being pretty tall for my age, I’d be with them at practice in the fourth grade and they’d invite me to practice,” she said. “By the time I reached fifth grade, I was playing.”

Boulevard, which has a liberal age policy on athletic participation, isn’t shabby when it comes to volleyball. Steve Hines played there and went on to a scholarship career at Brigham Young University. Boulevard’s girls team has made the private school state finals 10 of 13 years, winning six titles, all with some of the Jernigan clan — and there’s a lot of them. Galen is the sixth of nine siblings — she along with four brothers and four sisters — belonging to Dennis and Melinda Jernigan.

“Her experience helped, most definitely,” Hammer said. “She’s been a leader vocally and by effort.”

Supposedly, there’s no connection between having such a large family and the increased attendance at volleyball games this year. Some of it’s probably more due to the volleyball gym, adjacent to Ron Milam Gymnasium, getting air-conditioning. Oh, and the play has improved as well. Muskogee is near .500 this season at 14-16 and has registered a win over a 6A opponent — something that hadn’t happened until this year.

Still, the siblings create somewhat of a special fan section for both Galen and her younger sister, Raina, who is also on the roster.

Older sister Annie sported a poster in the crowd at a recent home game —”Galen brings the heat. Raina brings the thunder.”

Galen laughs when recalling it.

“Raina’s name is so close to rain, thunder seems pretty natural. I can’t say I’m exactly sure where the heat comes from with me,” she said.

Hammer does. It’s her hitting ability.

“She’s got over 300 kills this year,” he said. “She’s tough at the net.”