Second-Place Titans Hit New Heights In Volleyball

University High School volleyball coach Rik Austing’s worst fears proved unfounded, at least this time.

Austing’s worry was the height advantage that both Mead and NC have over his Titans.

“We don’t match up against North Central and Mead,” he said. “Those teams concern me.”

Thursday night the surprising Titans blew past Mead in three games with Sally Jamison, listed at 5-foot-6, getting 17 kills against a team with 6-2 Jessica Sanborn and 6-0 Jen Clark plus three others at 5-foot-10 or taller on the roster.

As a result, going into tonight’s home match against NC, the Titans share second place in the Greater Spokane League.

Led by 6-0 Tamara Van Engelen, the Indians won three straight going into last night’s match against Lewis and Clark.

University graduated everyone but Jamison and Devon Bakken from last year’s best-ever team.

But the Titans haven’t lost anything. Bakken had 23 kills in an earlier five-game victory over Shadle Park.

The Titans are currently 6-2, two games behind league leading Gonzaga Prep and tied for second with a Ferris team they beat.

“We passed well and either we served well or they weren’t passing,” said Austing of that Sept. 19 victory.

The two teams are set for a rematch on Tuesday at Ferris.

Next matches also telling for WV

West Valley’s volleyball team winds down the first half of the Frontier League season and begins the next half against its most challenging opponents.

This afternoon the Eagles are in Clarkston against the unbeaten Bantams and on Thursday host second-place East Valley to start the second round of play.

WV beat Pullman last week, getting 12 kills each from Arin Craig and Darcy Sohns for a 3-1 record. Clarkston is 4-0 and the Knights 4-1.

The heat is on Frontier quartet

The heat is on four Frontier League girls cross country runners who are among the state’s best.

West Valley’s Jessica Riehle turned up the temperature on a cold and rainy day at Bear Lake.

Riehle, who was supplanted as state champion by Cheney’s Jeannette Zimmer, on Thursday set a course record in victories over Riverside and Pullman, timing 19:04 for three miles.

Zimmer, who beat former state third-placer Jennifer Rea of Clarkston Thursday, is at East Valley next week against the defending state team champions and former state runnerup Angie Simmers.

In previous races, Riehle beat Zimmer at the Highlander Invitational and Zimmer beat Simmers by a second at Farragut State Park.

Titan race news good, bad

There was good news and bad during University’s cross country week. The good was U-Hi’s resurgent boys team which beat previously perfect North Central 27-30 for a break-even 2-2 record midway through the season.

NC had the first two finishers but University placed six runners ahead of the Indians’ fourth and fifth finishers.

The bad was that the short-handed Titan girls lost for the first time in four meets. 18-39 to Ferris. With the win Ferris is the lone Greater Spokane League unbeaten.

No. 1 runner Lindsay Daehlin did not compete for U-Hi.

Central Valley runner Jenni Saling remained unbeaten although her team lost twice, to Mead and Shadle Park.

Last year’s sixth-place district finisher has now beaten two of the runners who placed ahead of her last year.

Both CV boys and girls teams are 2-2 in the GSL.

Cash wins Captain’s Cup

Hangman Valley Ladies Club golfer Gloria Cash won the overall Captain’s Cup championship in a playoff against other monthly winners.

Net leaders for the day were Cash with a 71 in A flight, Ellen Boudewyns with 75 in B flight, Margaret Brashears with 73 in C flight and Pam Anderson with 72 in D flight.

Hardy golfers still at it

Ladies club golfers remain active well into the fall at Painted Hills Golf Course.

Last week in A flight, Danice Deckard shot low gross 40. B flight was won by Ellan Bohannon with a 47. Jane Dashiell shot 50 in C flight and Sherri Baker shot 61 in D flight.

Respective flight net leaders were Connie Hatfield with 32, Jennifer Radke and Christy Cossette with 31, Wanda McHugo with 33 and Cleo Workland with 31.

Tanna Wilson chipped in for a birdie on the fifth hole. Others who had chip-ins were Baker on number two and Lu Trimborn on seven.

, DataTimes