Volleyball Season’s Outlook Appears Up In The Air Panthers Bringing Most Experience To Court

Just as nobody could have anticipated the top-to-bottom quality of last year’s Greater Spokane League volleyball season, there is an air of uncertainty among North Side teams about how they will fare this year.

“We don’t know how we’ll do because of the young kids and all the new coaches,” said Shadle Park coach Linda Sheridan.

Mead is the most experienced North Side team and given the best chance of challenging Ferris and Lewis and Clark for a league championship.

Four other schools, including Rogers and defending state champion North Central, have new coaches.

John Reid has added volleyball to his basketball coaching position at North Central.

“It becomes our life,” said Reid, whose wife and four children are all involved.

At Rogers, Anna Vanderpool is the new volleyball coach. She and her husband, Drew, moved here from California when he became the Pirate girls basketball coach.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “It all fell into place so well it was like it was meant to be.”

League play begins Tuesday with Mead at Gonzaga Prep, Rogers at Shadle Park and NC at University, all at 7 p.m.

G-Prep has tough act to follow

Trying to top last year’s act will be difficult for second-year Gonzaga Prep coach Steve Gillis.

In his first year with the Bullpups, Gillis guided the team to an unprecedented 16-0 league championship season.

“We’ve lost Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman,” quipped Gillis, explaining that seven quality seniors graduated.

The only returning starters are middle hitter/ blocker Jennifer Williams and setter Story Tombari. Newcomer junior outside hitter Meghann Green has shown improvement.

“After that it tails off substantially,” Gillis said.

Varsity returnees include senior outside hitter Brooke Egger and junior setter Erin Higgins. Newcomers are junior middles Mary Freuen, a junior, and Megan Fitzsimmons, a sophomore, junior setter Rose Sacco, senior outside hitters Kelly McGinty and Lisa Boren, and juniors Maggie Bruya and Christy Bloom.

Tombari, Higgins and Boren are North Side residents.

NC planning on carryover

Any time a team returns four players from a state championship team, there’s bound to be some carryover.

“Confidence and experience,” said Reid, who succeeded Coach Linda Bushinski. “If you have been there before, you have it.”

Setters Sarah Menard and Shannon Nelson are back.

Gone are a pair of college-bound front-row players, Tamara Van Engelen and Aimee Wilson, who were major to the title.

“It will be hard to replace those two,” Reid admitted.

But seniors Mindy Rosell, Lisa Hammond and junior Beth White are experienced at outside hitter.

Newcomers from the junior varsity are Jessica Allen and Tanya Haug. Returning to the program after a year’s absence is senior Adrianne Elliott.

“I’m a little different than Linda,” Reid said of his coaching style. “But I still have high expectations of the young ladies from last year.”

Mead after next rung on ladder

In Judy Kight’s third year back at the helm, the Panthers are seeking a higher rung on the GSL ladder.

“Last year we made the playoffs, which was a good step forward,” said Kight. “This year we want to take another.”

Eight players return from last year’s team. They include three-year letter winners Jessica Sanborn, in the middle, Andrea Carnahan at setter and Lindsey Miller at outside hitter.

Senior Cheryl Adams is another middle hitter/ blocker, and the team is strong at outside hitter with seniors Alisha Simchuk and juniors Staci Schuerman and Kortney Stewart.

Junior Kelsey Sturm is a second-year varsity setter.

Newcomers are juniors Brandi Morrison, Abby Hornstein, Krista Nelson and Beth Prehn.

“They look and play more experienced,” said Kight. “I’m optimistic. I don’t know how you can coach and not be.”

Shadle seeks to reverse cycle

Two years ago Shadle Park finished second when only one team qualified for state.

Last year with the advent of a regional playoff, the Highlanders inexplicably finished seventh in league and missed out.

“Nobody anticipated how good the league was. It was without a doubt a banner year,” said Sheridan, whose teams have finished first or second in league 15 times in 20 GSL seasons.

“I was disappointed with our finish. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was,” Sheridan continued.

“You need a wakeup call to know it’s not magic.”

Sheridan’s other wakeup call was a serious respiratory illness that hospitalized her last winter and again in May with double pneumonia. It has altered her approach to coaching.

“I’m choosing to be here on a daily basis. I picked good kids,” she said. “I’m setting myself up because you never know if tomorrow will be your last practice.”

The Highlanders took a hit when junior Emily Christensen moved to Salt Lake City.

Back, however, are sophomore middle Michelle Etter, junior outside hitter Brooke Olzendam, and seniors Joy Potter, Vanessa Larkin, Melissa Chadwick and Megan Sturm.

Potter is moving from outside hitter to join Sturm as a setter.

Newcomers are junior middle Amy Miller, sophomore Kirsten Lynn, freshman Katie Schurra and junior Karen Janke outside, plus senior back-row players Jenni Madden and McKenzie Kiritz.

“This team’s destiny will be determined by them,” said Sheridan. “They have the potential to be very competitive.”

Pirate coach excited for season

In the final two of five seasons at her previous coaching stay, Vanderpool’s teams had back-to-back 14-0 seasons.

Expecting another in her first year at Rogers might be a bit much, but the new Pirate coach is excited nonetheless.

“Compared to where I was at, being at Rogers is so nice,” Vanderpool said.

Players who had a summer basketball success for her husband make up a good portion of her volleyball team.

“They experienced winning and kind of liked it,” said Vanderpool.

Included are five volleyball veterans: starting setter Jaime Christensen and fellow senior letter winners Karly Nill, Kate Hanson and LeMandy Tannehill and junior Monica Abrahamson.

Everyone else, except freshman Taneisha Tilque, played junior varsity.

“She’s tall and very experienced,” said Vanderpool. “I don’t see her sitting the bench.”

Completing the 15 player roster are juniors Angel Fairbanks, Jill Hatch, Tammy Jones, Jennifer Christensen, Malea Wright, Kim Jensen, Melissa Redmond and Amber Conrath and sophomore Katie Logue.

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