Lakeside Eagles Loaded With Experience
The players are back in bunches for defending State 2A volleyball champion Lakeside.
Riverside and Deer Park wish they could say the same.
Lakeside welcomes back nine players, including four starters, from the team that ripped through the Great Northern League with an undefeated record and toppled Kiona-Benton for the state title.
Lakeside returns more players than DP has on its roster. The Stags are limited to seven varsity players, with just two returners and one returning starter.
Riverside expected to have up to nine returners, but three transferred, one injured her knee and another didn’t turn out.
Expect Pullman and Newport to give Lakeside its toughest challenges this season. Pullman finished in second place in league last year, but Newport caught fire late in the season and joined Lakeside at the state tournament.
Deer Park has young team
Senior outside hitter Crystal Scharnhorst is the only returning starter for second-year coach Jack Wood. She’s also the only senior.
“Crystal is the team captain and the most likely candidate for the season’s team MVP,” Wood said.
Scharnhorst was selected to the all-league second team last year.
The Stags’ other veteran is junior setter Cammi Davis.
Size is also a concern. Sophomore middle hitter Lisa Shaw, at 5-foot-9, has 2 inches on the next tallest player.
The Stags had seven seniors last year when they finished 2-10 in league.
DP lost its league opener to Pullman last Thursday . The Stags’ second GNL contest is tonight at Newport.
Lakeside better than ever?
The basketball school - five state trophies in the last six seasons - has also developed into a volleyball school under coach Kara Price, who is entering her third season.
Lakeside placed third at state in Price’s first year, then rose up to take the top prize last fall. Lakeside had a perfect season except for a GNL, nonleague loss to Class 3A Colville.
More success is almost guaranteed. The Eagles return five starters, including league most valuable player Jen Barcus, a 6-1 junior middle blocker, and firstteam GNL selection Kate Reome, a senior setter.
“I think we’re better,” Price said.
“We’re running more intricate offenses than last year. Our first match against Cheney, I was thinking about how far we’ve come.”
Two other senior starters have returned: outside hitter Tara Thain and defensive specialist Jackie Nuechterlein. Junior middle blocker Katie Tikker subs in for Nuechterlein at the net.
Junior outside hitter Molly Stillar is the new starter.
The Eagles opened their league season last Thursday with a 3-0 sweep of Medical Lake. They travel to Riverside tonight .
“I’m just trying to keep them focused and challenged every match,” Price said. “We’re trying to play to our potential and not worry about what we did last year.”
Riverside’s focus is defense
Recent problems within the school district have had an effect on athletics. Three players from last season, including 6-3 middle blocker Kelicia Shorts, have transferred to other schools. Shorts is now on the varsity roster at defending State 4A champion Mead.
“We were hoping to come back for our big payoff year,” said thirdyear coach Tami Bruner. “We were ready to go on to bigger and better things.
“Instead, anything we’ve trained them on the last two years, we’ll have to train them all over again.”
Bruner’s 1998 team was winless in league, but her ‘99 group qualified for the district playoffs. At district, the sixth-seeded Rams surprised No. 3 Medical Lake.
Bruner’s returning starter is her daughter, Shannon, a senior setter.
Seniors Randi Toner and Jenni Woodard and junior Mel Marti are the other returners.
“We don’t have a lot of height, so we’re focusing on the defense,” coach Bruner said.
What height there is comes from the younger players. Junior Jennifer Vannatter and sophomore Sarah Couch are 5-10 middle hitters.
Riverside’s league opener is today at home against Lakeside.