Teams Cross Over Border For Tourney

Thirty-two teams from around the region are entered in what could be the largest one-day high school volleyball tournament in the country Saturday’s Action Sportswear Crossover Classic.

Lewis and Clark coach Buzzie Welch, who co-founded the tourney in 1991 with Shadle Park’s Linda Sheridan, frets about the organizational details because last year’s tourney, a 17-team affair, ran late and stoked tempers.

The field is divided into eight pools at four sites - Lewis and Clark, Shadle, Ferris and North Central. Each pool winner advances to Shadle to play for places 1-8. No.2’s head to NC for places 9-16, No. 3’s to Lewis and Clark for places 17-24, No. 4’s to Ferris for 25-32.

Fife beat Gonzaga Prep for last year’s title. Pasco finished third, Ferris fourth, Mead fifth, Prairie sixth, Shadle seventh and NC eighth.

All nine Greater Spokane League teams are entered. Top non-GSL competition should come from St. Maries, an Idaho A-2 finalist for 15 consecutive years, Fife, Auburn, Prairie, Walla Walla, defending State A champion Colfax, Eisenhower, Coeur d’Alene, Frontier League-leading East Valley, Pasco and Davis (Yakima).

Each pool is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Semifinals are expected at 5 p.m., the title match at 7:45.

At Lewis and Clark, St. Maries is in Pool A and will play Auburn-Riverside, GSL-leading Ferris and host LC, the State AAA champion two years ago.

Sandpoint is also at Lewis and Clark and will compete in Pool B against University, Mead and State A champion Fife - considered by many the best team in Washington last year regardless of classification.

At Shadle, Lake City will be in Pool D and meet defending Washington AAA champion North Central, Prairie and Rogers.

At Ferris, Coeur d’Alene is in Pool F and will take on perennial Big Nine Conference power Eisenhower of Yakima, Kent-Meridian and Colville.

, DataTimes