GSL teammates lead way as East sweeps

It helps to have teammates.

The East squad used two sets of Greater Spokane League teammates to power past the West to sweep all three Class 2A/4A matches of the annual All-State Volleyball Series.

Led by Mead teammates Lacey Anderson and Rachael Schurman, playing their final game together on their home court, and University teammates Mandy Daniels and Daedre Mendenhall, the East scored a 25-17, 17-25, 25-15 victory at Mead High School Saturday.

“Both teams are all-stars, but we had an advantage,” said Mead coach Judy Kight, who co-coached the East squad with Omak head coach Jennifer Kerr-Hughes. “We had four players (Anderson, Schurman, Daniels and Mendenhall) who all play together on the same club team. They were used to playing with one another.

“Plus, we were using just the one setter, Lacey, and she was used to feeding those other three players.”

Anderson said having that nucleus helped the rest of the team find its sense of timing.

“I think that fact that four of us had our timing down helped the rest of the team settle into a consistent rhythm,” the North Idaho College-bound setter explained. “It helped that we all got along so well and had fun playing with each other, too.”

Anderson found two-time state player of the year Schurman with a series of clutch plays while Daniels and Mendenhall closed out the first and third games of the match to secure the win.

The Titan teammates combined to score the final four points to close out the first game.

The West never trailed in game two, evening the match at a game apiece.

“We kind of lost our timing there in the second game,” Kight said, rolling her eyes. “But once we got in rhythm again, we did very well.

Class 2A Colville’s Nikki Bardwell, who collected a half dozen kills Friday night at Selah, knocked down five kills in the third game alone – starting the East on a nine-point run with a cross-court smash that cut the West’s lead to 4-3, then capping the run with a rifle-shot from the opposite side to make the score 11-4.

“Nikki really stepped up in this series,” Kight said. “She played like she’d been teammates with the Lacey for a long time.”

After Mendenhall slammed down match point, the teammates dissolved into prolonged, tearful embraces.

“It was so special for Lacey and Rachael to be able to finish their high school career together on their home floor,” Kight said. “Same for Daedre and Mandy. Those are four very talented players and they’re all going off to play at the next level. Just not together.”

Schurman will play at Central Washington University in the fall. Daniels will play at Eastern Washington and Mendenhall will join Anderson and Bardwell at NIC.

In the Class 3A series, the West staved off a sweep by scoring a 12-25, 25-19, 25-16 victory, while the East did the same in the 1A/B series, 25-9, 17-25, 26-24.

Baseball

Scott Parrish threw a complete-game four-hitter and Steve Bralver went 2 for 3 and had a bases-loaded double that drove in three runs as the Spokane RiverHawks beat the Kelowna Falcons 6-1 at Spokane Falls Community College.

Parrish, who plays collegiately at Central Washington University, allowed just one run and one walk while striking out seven to up his record to 1-3.

Jaime Pedroza went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs for Spokane (5-18) and Nick Froman, a junior-to-be at Whitworth, went 2 for 3. The Falcons dropped to 8-9 on the season.

The win evened the series a game apiece.

Golf

Jordan Madison birdied the 28th, 29th and 32nd holes to hold off Travis Andrews 4 and 3 to win the 104th Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship at Oakbrook Golf & Country Club in Lakewood, Wash.

Madison, a Washington State golfer from Pasco, was one up after 27 holes before making his late charge and finishing off Andrews, a University of Washington golfer from Auburn who barely made it past qualifying heading into the tournament before being seeded No. 60.