Volleyball teams seeking success

It’s been said that nothing succeeds like success.

Indeed, it would seem too much easier for local volleyball teams that have had success to reload and find success than it is to find that initial success.

Three teams will look to prove that pattern: University, which played in the school’s first state Class 4A volleyball tournament a year ago; West Valley, the top-seed in last year’s Class 3A regional tournament; and Freeman, part of a three-team sweep by the Class 1A Northeast A League at the state tournament.

For the first two teams, the proving ground is the Greater Spokane League.

“Our league can either be daunting or challenging,” West Valley coach Drew Wendle said. “We have arguably the best league in the state. It has a sparkling past and a bright future.”

GSL teams have played for three of the past four state championship matches — with Mead winning the crown last fall — just to name the tournaments played in this millennium.

University

The Titans are counting on a progression. Two seasons ago the team finished third in the GSL. Last year it finished second.

“This year we’re counting on winning the championship,” coach Amanda Velasquez said.

One of the University’s strengths in recent years has been a senior class that has refused to accept anything less than success every time the team steps on the court.

“Senior leadership has been a key for us,” Velasquez said. “I think this year’s group of seniors will be the same way. They learned from the classes that went ahead of them and they want to carry on that success.”

Senior outside hitter Mandy Daniels, setter Kara Crisp and middle blocker Daidre Mendenhall are three-year starters and have picked up the gauntlet thrown down by last year’s 12-1 GSL runner-up team.

Velasquez said one of the keys to building a successful program where none was before has been simple: She raised expectations for her players.

“I think you have to give kids goals,” she said. “They know what I expect of them. I expect them to work hard. We have fun, but I expect them to work hard. These kids have taken that to heart.

“The other thing that helps us, I think, is that we really don’t have class breakdowns on this team. They’re all teammates. They aren’t seniors and juniors and sophomores and freshmen. They’re all one team, and they treat each other as such. They all work together; they all pick up balls and take down nets.”

Freeman

Senior hitter Kaila Floyd will be going four-for-four — four years as a member of the Freeman varsity and four straight years playing in the state Class 1A tournament.

Davis is following a pattern he set a year ago. Going into today’s Rip-A-Shot Tournament — Freeman’s annual season-opening tournament — the Scotties have only eight players on the varsity.

“That allows me to look at and evaluate the junior varsity and see what we have,” he said.

The big question Davis wants answered is who will set for the varsity.

“At this level, the game is about passing, not about hitting.” Davis said. “You’ve got to be able to pass the ball and set the ball.”

Jesica Jackson started the transition to setter last year, and Davis worked her into games throughout the season, including games at the district, regional and state tournaments.

“I didn’t want her eyes to bug out this year,” Davis laughed. “It was important for her to see the kind of competition she was going to face this year.”

The Northeast A League changes this year. Gone is two-time defending state champion Lind-Ritzville, back to Class B, where the Broncos won the 2002 state title. In their place drops Newport, late of the Class 2A Great Northern League.

Davis, however, is familiar with the team and the coach. Linda Haptonstall is his sister-in-law.

“Linda has won a couple of state championships up there,” he said. “She started there in 1976, which was my senior year there.

“Sue (Doering) at Colfax has won a couple of state championships, and we’ve had sniffs at the state championships and won titles here, too.”

Last year the NEA finished 1-2-3 at the state tournament. The Broncos beat Colfax in the title game, with Freeman winning the consolation final.

West Valley

The Eagles will put the adage to its most serious test.

“We graduated almost all of them,” coach Drew Wendle said of last year’s varsity. “It’s important that we bond as a team. If we function as a unit and do the little things, volleyball doesn’t have a whole bunch of secret skills. It’s about doing things well consistently.”

Wendle returns only four letter winners and two starters from a year ago, when the Eagles were 6-7 against bigger schools in the GSL.

Defensive specialist Jessica Gudgel, a 5-foot-5 senior, returns as a starter, and 5-9 junior Kayla Kazemba starts in a new position.

What hasn’t changed around the Eagles is the attitude: They’re excited to be playing volleyball.

“They all watched the Olympics, and they’ve all been playing over the summer,” Wendle said. “They’re excited about getting out there and playing volleyball.”

The Eagles have sprinted out of the box. They played in the Valley jamboree at University High Tuesday, opened league play Thursday night at home against Rogers, and play in today’s Rip-A-Shot Tournament at Freeman. By the end of today, West Valley will have played a minimum of nine different teams — three at the jamboree, Rogers in the opener and five more teams in pool play at Freeman today.

Central Valley

The Bears could be one of the GSL’s surprise teams this year.

The team played well against University in Tuesday’s jamboree and has been working hard in practice.

Seniors Rachael Adams and Ashley Lupfer lead six returning letter winners from last year’s 4-9 team.

It’s the newcomers that have the coach looking to make some noise as the league season gets underway.

“We have some new kids coming up who are sophomores and juniors,” coach Chad Coupland said. “They look like a good bunch of kids. I’m really looking forward to these kids.”

East Valley

The Knights hope to improve over last year’s 1-12 season.

Seven players return from last year — three of them seniors — giving the team a level of experience that last year’s squad lacked.

Senior outside hitter Angie Smith has taken her game to a new level over the summer

“She’s playing really great right now — it’s all coming together for her this fall,” coach Jim Dorr said. “She’s taking that leadership quality she has farther than she has ever taken it before. And not only is she hitting well, she”s serving really well. We’ll get some points off her serve.”

Junior middle blockers Trisha Hiebert and Rachel Bonertz both are playing well, giving the Knights strength at the net. Passers senior Denise Gjenden and sophomore Pam Eatock have taken up the challenge and are getting the ball into the right hands.

“What I like about this team is that they are learning and improving,” Dorr said. “I had one of our assistant coaches hitting against them the other night in practice, and a few of our hitters looked at what they were doing and said, ‘Hey, we can do that.’ They’ve all learned and improved a lot.”