U-Hi volleyball team barred from regional
The University volleyball team will not be participating in the final day of the 3A Regional tournament today, the WIAA board ruled Thursday.
The WIAA ruled that U-Hi played all season with an ineligible player who attends a private school.
The player, a sophomore and a two-year starter, attends The Oaks Academy, a private school in Spokane Valley. Although she lived in U-Hi’s boundaries, the player should have played at The Oaks because the school fields a volleyball team, the board ruled.
“We got a phone call Wednesday from a parent in a somewhat unrelated matter,” WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese said. “We did some checking and that was when we discovered what had happened. The board ruled on the eligibility of the student and required forfeiture for any match that she participated in. It’s unfortunate. The board looked at quite a few ways to remedy the situation.”
Colbrese said U-Hi must vacate all of its wins.
Kennewick will take U-Hi’s place today as two state qualifiers are decided when the tourney concludes at Mt. Spokane. Kennewick was the team U-Hi eliminated last Saturday.
Colbrese said no team had to replace U-Hi in the tourney. It was the decision of Districts 5/6 and 8 to offer Kennewick the opportunity to play today and Kennewick accepted.
U-Hi coach Mark Weis met with his team after school Friday.
“It’s very unfortunate,” Weis said. “We’re having a tough time dealing with it. You work so long to get to this point. I have a lot of personal feelings I won’t get into. The WIAA is the ruling body. We’ll move on. We’ll recover.”
“It’s been a very, very long day,” U-Hi athletic director Ken Van Sickle said. “It’s been heart-wrenching. I feel so bad for our players. It’s been devastating for the player involved and her family – maybe more so for them instead of the rest of the team. For our girls who have done nothing wrong to be punished this way … it’s very difficult.”
Although The Oaks isn’t sanctioned with the WIAA, because it fields a team and plays other schools it’s deemed to be involved with interscholastic competition, Van Sickle said.
“It’s unfortunate for the other members of our league,” Van Sickle said. “At no time did any of our coaches or players mislead or not follow the rules of the WIAA.”
Mt. Spokane meets Kamiakin in the first match this afternoon at 2 to decide the regional champion. The winner advances to state as the region’s top seed.
Southridge and Kennewick play at 4 in a loser-out match. The winner turns around and faces the Kamiakin/Mt. Spokane loser to decide the second state berth.
8:33 a.m. Nov 3
I’m sorry, but that just seems absurd to me. What is the WIAA thinking? Nothing against the Oaks, but they participate in a league that includes 8 teams from Idaho. It almost seems more like an intramural league. Those kids don’t have the chance to win a state title. If the school doesn’t offer competition in a WIAA league, then the kids should be allowed to go play at a school that does.
It almost seems like the WIAA is putting the blame on the Oaks for not participating in a WIAA sanctioned league. I Feel sorry for the athletes and coaches at U High that worked so hard this season.
Because this was brought to light by a “somewhat unrelated matter” is the WIAA just going to single out volleyball or are they now going to investigate and make sure that there weren’t any Oaks students playing basketball at any public schools?
9:15 a.m. Nov 3
Mhillfamily, while the WIAA ruling may seem ridiculous, there are valid reasons for the rule. The primary purpose for this type of rule is to prevent high school athlete recruiting and to allow an environment for athletic programs to flourish in all sizes of schools. If everybody had the opportunity to play sports at other schools, the sports programs in smaller schools would struggle to exist. Because everybody would be playing for the perceived stronghold schools. Furthermore, different leagues are created to coincide with the various sizes of schools. A school can always opt to play at a higher level (I.e Gonzaga Prep by size should be 3A, but opt up to 4A), but can’t play down. The intent is to create more level playing fields for all sizes of programs. The decision is unfortunate, I agree. However, the disappointment could have been avoided if the UH coach and AD were familiar with WIAA rules. This rule has been long standing and very well known. There is no excuse for either of these positions not to be aware of it. Unfortunately, the rest of the team is who will pay the price.
1:40 p.m. Nov 3
Oops. Responsibility of the coach & AD to make sure all these ducks are lined up at the BEGINNING of the season. Somebody dropped the ball, and needs to apologize to the team.
2:11 p.m. Nov 3
I understand why the rules are there. And that is why you see Northwest Christian students able to play football at their local district 81 high schools. But, The Oaks Academy does not offer high school volleyball in a WIAA league, so their students shouldn’t be penalized if they want to play on a team that has a chance to participate in state playoffs as opposed to just playing in the private christian academy league that doesn’t compete beyond the end of their league season.
If The Oaks played in a class B WIAA league like NWC or St. Georges does, then I would fully support the decision if one of their players went and tried to play at Mt. Spokane, Mead, etc. so that they could be on a more competitive team, but because The Oaks plays in basically an intramural league made up of private schools in Idaho and E. Washington, I disagree with the WIAA ruling.
I can easily see how the AD and coach at U high could have been confused by the WIAA rule.
10:56 a.m. Nov 4
mhillfamily,
Intramural is defined as within a school. Interscholastic is defined as between schools. The WIAA has ruled The Oaks Academy has an interscholastic volleyball team and as you’ve admitted it does play in a “christian academt league”. As a retired high school athletic director in WA I know the duties of an athletic director is to certify that all student-athletes included on a team roster at a public school meet all the requirements outlined in the WIAA Handbook for eligibility and lists of those certified athletes must be on file at the school at all times.
You “can easily see how the AD and coach at U high could have been confused by the WIAA rule” is simply not a true statement. I’ll paste Rule 18.5.1 for you and everyone interseted in this story to read. It’s very clear and easy to apply in this case. The athletic director is fully responsible for this error and must take full responsibility for the mistake. He has failed the coach and the student-athletes on the volleyball team.
Please read Rule 18.5.1 with special attention to the part that states “and if the interscholastic activity in unavailable to the student in the private school”.
18.5.1 A student who is a regular member in a private school may participate on the interscholastic teams of his/her resident public school if the student resides within the service area of that public school and if the interscholastic activity is unavailable to the student in the private school. Students in a private school must meet the same team responsibilities as public school team members and are obligated by the same standards of behavior and performance
as other members of the team.
A. This rule may not be appealed through the eligibility appeal process.
As ruled by the WIAA, The Oaks Academy has an interscholastic volleyball team therefore the student in question may not play for the public high school team in her service area. Sorry but it’s not a confusing rule as stated. It’s either a two year mistake allowing her to play at U-High or a situation in which U-High was trying to circumvent the rule for a talented player. Only they can answer that question.
10:19 a.m. Nov 5
Fine. So they play in a intERmural league.
The rule needs to be re-written. It’s pretty clear that the intent of the rule is to stop Johnny from being able to play at local public high school when his private school has a team that participates in a WIAA league.
The Oaks doesn’t participate in a WIAA league. Their athletes, should have the option of playing in their local public high school and have the opportunity to compete and play for district, regional and state titles.
A lot of kids best memories from high school are from participating in district, regional and state tournaments. And in this case, this poorly written rule is denying the students of The Oaks that opportunity.