Northern Door Dynasty

(Left to right) Lauren Bremer, Chris Olson, Alissa Ehmke, Todd Strojny with son Aiden, Mike Helm and Mark Helscher have fleshed out the roster for the last five years. Only maternity leaves have hindered their consistency. (Not pictured, Cassie Olson.)

Not many times does the discussion of “Dynasty” enter the boundaries of Door County sports. To be labeled a dynasty, a team must win multiple championships, usually three to four, and almost always win them in succession.

Earning the dynasty tag is clearly a difficult task, and when it comes to the Northern Door County Volleyball League, the discussion surrounds only one team – the Blue Horse Beach Café.

With the perfect mix of volleyball pedigree and talent, the Blue Horse squad has won three championships in their five years of playing together. The team won those three titles in succession, from 2008 – 2010, dominating the volleyball lineup of teams that meet every Wednesday at the sand courts on County Road A.

Team member Lauren Bremer cites the consistency of Blue Horse as the main reason for their extended run of success.

“One of our biggest strengths as a team is that everyone is really consistent,” noted Bremer. “Even if we are not the most incredible players in the league, everybody just seems to be able to play well together.”

Their ability to mesh on the sand courts is easy to understand when considering the various athletic backgrounds of each player. In addition to Bremer, Mike Helm and Chris Olson have each made stints as high school volleyball coaches within the county. Alissa Ehmke, Mark Helscher, Cassie Olson and Todd Strojny round out the squad with equal doses of hitting power and setting prowess.

Blue Horse Beach Café’s Todd Strojny displays some air-born athleticism, as he goes up for a kill.

The magical run of championships ended last summer with shake-up in the roster from Ehmke’s and Bremer’s maternity leaves, but with the original roster back in place, 2012 has been just like any other championship year. They currently reside at 17-1 – good for the highest winning percentage in the league.

The league is far from decided, however.

Near the top of the standings are Nicolet Beach Concessions (21-3) and Husby’s (18-3), both vying to make the dynasty discussion an outdated conversation of the past. The Peninsula Pulse is also worthy of being noted, owning a record of 17-7. A league with sufficient parity can certainly be an enigma for any team desiring the dynasty label.

However, with multiple championships achieved, superior competition is exactly what members of the Blue Horse team enjoy most about the league.

“There have been a lot of young volleyball players in the county that are just getting out of high school or are living here for the summer that are really into the sport,” Bremer said. “[Through this] the league has gotten really competitive in the last few years, and it’s something I really like.”

Clearly, another championship run is in the makings for the Blue Horse Beach Café team, but the competition they love and feed off is standing in their way. With the dynasty trademark on the line, something has to give.

Photos courtesy of Heidi Atanasov Photography. To see more of her work, stop by Peninsula Photo Imaging, 3397 State Hwy 42, Fish Creek, call 920.854.7770 or visit http://HeidiAtanasovPhotography.zenfolio.com.