Usa Volleyball Tour Set To Play Spokane Arena

William Morgan.

That isn’t a household name to compare with that of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, but Morgan has a similar place in sports history.

A physical-education instructor at the Holyoke, Mass., YMCA, Morgan created volleyball in 1895. One hundred years later, it’s more popular than ever.

The national high school federation reports that 327,616 girls at 12,403 schools competed in volleyball during the 1993-94 school year while 26,200 boys at 1,217 schools participated. Also, the number of teenage players in the U.S. Junior Olympic program has increased by more than 200 percent since 1988.

Spokane will pay tribute to the sport’s centennial celebration Oct. 1 at the new Veterans Memorial Arena as the USA men’s team will take on Japan and the USA women’s team will play Canada in “The Stars and Spikes Road to Atlanta Tour.”

The action will start at 6 p.m.

“This is history in the making in Spokane,” said Toby Steward, president of Star USA, the local promoter. “This is the first time the men and women have done a dual tour in the same event. These are the best players in the world preparing for the ‘96 Olympics. This will be a fast-paced, major-league event.”

In the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona, Spain, the U.S. men’s and women’s team brought home bronze medals. Scott Fortune will be playing in the Olympics for the third time. He also was a member of the 1988 team that won the gold medal in Seoul, South Korea.

For the women, Lori Endicott is back.

Tickets are priced at $10 for general reserved, $13 for premier reserved and $20 for gold reserved. Tickets will go on sale at G&B Select-A-Seat on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m.

The doubleheader is being sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Washington and Washington Trust Bank.

For a third straight year, rival coaches have selected University of Idaho as the favorite to win the Big Sky Conference volleyball championship.

Coach Tom Hilbert’s Vandals, who earned the maximum seven first-place votes for 49 points (coaches couldn’t vote for their own team), were 13-1 in the Big Sky last year and 31-2 overall. They defeated Central Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to nationally ranked Hawaii in the second.

Following Idaho in the poll are Weber State (one first-place vote), 40 points; Montana, 33; Montana State, 26; Idaho State, 25; Boise State, 20; Northern Arizona, 19; and Eastern Washington, 12.

Football

Washington State University and the Spokane Youth Sports Association will conduct a clinic Saturday at the SYSA North Complex from 4-6 p.m.

The clinic is free for fifth- through eighth-graders. NCAA rules prohibit anyone above the eighth grade from participating.

“We are trying to re-establish our presence with the youth in Spokane,” said WSU coach Mike Price. “We want to give them good, positive role models and make them Cougars fans.”

Officials expect 400 youngsters. All members of the WSU football team are expected to help teach them drills and basic skills.

WSU will stage a game-style scrimmage tonight at 8 in Pullman in preparation for its Sept. 2 opener at Pittsburgh. The scrimmage under the lights is to simulate expected conditions at Pitt, where the game will start at 7 p.m. EDT.

Golf

Chris Mitchell of Spokane broke Jack Nicklaus’ course record by three strokes, shooting a 7-under-par 65 Tuesday for the first-round lead in the Wilson Pacific Northwest PGA Championship at Eagle Bend Golf Club in Big Fork, Mont.

Nicklaus, who designed the course, shot a 68 there earlier this summer.

“Today, I struck the ball as well as I ever have in my life,” said Mitchell, who leads John McComish of Oak Knoll Golf Club by a stroke.

Seventeen other area golfers are in the field, with Rex Schultz (Esmeralda) and Ron Barker (Ritzville) shooting 1-under 71s and Dan Koesters (University of Idaho) and Steve Prugh (Manito) at even-par 72.

Softball

The Northwest Stars will conduct tryouts Friday at 6 p.m. at University High School for girls ages 12 to 16. The Stars will take four teams to Brisbane, Australia, in December to play in a tournament.

Jerry Mertens, Ron Bradstreet, Ken Van Sickle and Dick Mills will coach the teams. For more information, call Mertens at 926-4392.

, DataTimes