EV Girls Volleyball Team Doesn’t Panic; They Just Win

When Jim Dorr coached East Valley’s freshman volleyball team, he recalled a match against Lake City of Coeur d’Alene in which his team trailed 14-4.

Rally scoring was used, meaning that any time the ball hit the floor, a point was scored.

Tessa Neal served 14 straight points for the win, then confidently told her coach he needn’t have worried.

“I said it only would have taken one miss and we’d have lost,” said Dorr. “Her face went white.”

His remonstrance didn’t change a thing. Comebacks have since remained the norm for players who are now Knight seniors.

“I don’t know what it is, they just do it,” said Dorr. “We’ve tried everything to change them and it doesn’t matter.”

Tuesday night was a case in point. The Knights trailed Clarkston 13-8 in their first Frontier League match, then outscored the Bantams 34-7 over three games. Included were runs of 15-0 and 16-1 runs.

The Knights won all three, 15-13, 15-5, 15-9 to begin defense of their league championship.

Whenever EV got into trouble, Tricia Stookey’s serving bailed them out. She had five straight for points to get the Knights back into the first game. Stookey served total 17 points, nearly 40 percent of the team total, during the match.

“There’s no place on the court she can’t serve,” said Dorr. “In general we score points because she’s so good on defense. She shows no mercy.”

So far, East Valley has won 11 of 13 matches, losing only to Sumner at the Bethel Invitational on the Coast, and to Sandpoint.

Impact players Deb Asbury and Christie Grochowski, who led the team with eight kills each, Kristin Holleran, Neal and Stookey are among eight seniors who have made a habit of coming-from-behind in volleyball matches for four years.

“We trailed St. Maries 7-0 and 14-6 this year and won two games,” said Dorr. “A senior team shouldn’t do that. But they have since their freshman year. They don’t panic and find a way to win.”

, DataTimes