U-Hi sweeps Mead to set up GSL volleyball title match with CV

The Greater Spokane League volleyball season has come down to one final chapter with a perfect ending.

University and Central Valley will meet for the league title on Tuesday night at CV, both sporting 8-0 records despite the roadblocks both faced this season.

U-Hi advanced to the big match by turning back visiting Mead 25-23, 25-19, 25-19 on Friday, making a statement after being pushed to five games by Lewis and Clark and Mt. Spokane in its last two league matches.

“It was good for us to have to battle and come back when maybe those last two matches should have gone 3-0 or maybe 3-1,” Titans coach Mike Summers said. “I guess playing five sets down the stretch is kind of a good thing to have in your back pocket.”

CV held tough this league season during five-game matches against Mead and Gonzaga Prep.

U-Hi will enter the match with a 24-2 record. The Bears, seeking their first GSL crown, are 22-1-1.

Last year, when U-Hi tied for the GSL title with Mead and Shadle Park, the Titans edged CV 3-2 by rallying from a 2-0 deficit.

“I think since Day One that’s kind of been the matchup that people have been talking about,” Summers said. “We’ve tried not to focus on it too much … but I think you couldn’t ask for a better match. It will be for all the marbles, for the GSL title, with both teams undefeated.”

“I love the girls on that team (CV), but obviously there’s a huge competition between us and I can’t wait to play them,” said U-Hi senior outside hitter Sydney Schlect, the reigning GSL Most Valuable Player, who teamed with her freshman sister Rachael and senior Alex Douglas for 27 kills.

“It’s really exciting, but I’m glad it’s finally here,” U-Hi senior middle hitter Brooklynn Tacke said. “It was hard (this season) to just focus on the next game, but we finally got there.”

The Titans may have to face CV without junior OH Kendall Collins, who sprained her right ankle with the score tied at 23 in the first game. The Panthers (5-3) had apparently scored a point on the play and would have led 24-23.

“The ball was still in play and I think the referee just noticed an obvious significant injury and stopped play for a medical timeout, from what I saw,” Summers said. “I think that’s kind of the standard type of thing when somebody’s obviously hurt, they want to take care of the athlete.”

U-Hi junior Daryn Griffith ended the first game with a kill. The Titans stormed to an 8-2 lead in the second game and 12-4 in the third.

• Also in the league, Josie Walser’s 23 kills and five blocks led Shadle Park (3-5) to a 3-0 sweep over visiting North Central (0-8). Abby Stolz and Randie Dewey added seven kills apiece for the Highlanders. Megan Dean led the Indians with 10 kills and a block.