Standout competitor

The sounds of squeaky sneakers and a referee’s whistle are followed by a group cheer and high-five as the Lakeland varsity volleyball team scores a point against Lake City High School.

Cassie Duncan, No. 6, stands out at 5 feet 10 inches as one of the most improved players since last year. Her eyes always on the ball and her feet quick on the court, Duncan fills gaps in the defense one moment and is behind the net ready to make a kill the next.

Her coach, Claudia Ebel, has seen her improvement over the last few years. Duncan started playing varsity volleyball during her junior year.

“She had signs of it last year, but this year she has become a totally, all-around great volleyball player,” Ebel said.

Ebel said Duncan wanted to play the game and she wanted to get as much time on the court as possible.

Since moving into the Inland Empire League, which includes teams from Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Sandpoint, Lewiston and Moscow, Lakeland has been facing some tough competition. Ebel said Lakeland is “holding its own” with a 9-6 record overall and a 4-5 posting in Inland Empire League play, putting the team at fifth in the seven-team league through Wednesday.

The team plays about two games a week and practices three days a week. Regional and state tournaments will wrap up the season by the end of the month.

Duncan was one of the first on the team to start playing during off-season in the late fall and early winter. But, because many of her teammates played basketball, she started in club volleyball on other teams in the area.

“She was not one who wanted to wait until basketball season was over when the rest of the team was available to play,” Ebel said.

Duncan has been playing with the North Idaho Volleyball Academy since her freshmen year. The club holds practice at North Idaho College and has tournaments every weekend. This year, Duncan played with a team from Sandpoint.

“I’m playing pretty much year-round, and I really enjoy it,” she said.

Ebel attended a few of Duncan’s practices and summer camps and saw her picking up speed on defense and hitting harder on offense. This year, she moved Duncan from her previous position at middle court to outside hitter.

Ebel said the outside hitter is generally an all-around player who is very athletic, can play both offense and defense and can move well on the court.

“They basically need to be able to do it all,” she said.

Since making the change, Ebel said she has noticed that Duncan has become a more confident player.

Duncan said she wasn’t very good when she started playing in the seventh grade, but, with steady practice and summer camps, she’s gotten better. She also noticed the change in herself with the new position.

“I feel more involved in the game as outside,” she said. “In the middle, I feel like I’m always in the way.”

Ebel said Duncan’s involvement extends beyond the court, with a genuine interest in team spirit and a full schedule.

Duncan also runs hurdles for the Lakeland track team and placed at the state level last year.

She said her schedule is tricky a few weeks out of the year when sport schedules overlap. Sometimes she goes from one practice to another, then rushes home to finish up her homework. She is also an ASB treasurer and active in the swine project for 4-H.

“I like being with the team and working toward a common goal,” she said.