Back in the fold
The phone call came minutes after the St. Maries High volleyball team arrived in Wendell for the 2006 State 3A tournament and checked into its motel.
The call to Lumberjacks coach Jamie Sloper was from athletic director Todd Gilkey, and he wasn’t checking to see how the drive was to Wendell.
Gilkey told Sloper that rumors were floating around school that two of the team’s players had violated the school’s athletic code the previous weekend. She said she’d talk to the players. They denied the allegations and Sloper called Gilkey.
“He told me that he knew for a fact they were at a party,” Sloper said. “He told me they couldn’t play (at state).”
Shortly thereafter, Sloper and the team went to Wendell High School for a short practice.
“We had 30 minutes to figure out a new rotation,” Sloper said.
The next day, St. Maries began state with starters Shawna Heath (outside hitter) and Terrin Loe (middle hitter), both juniors, sitting in the bleachers. The Lumberjacks, who had hopes of challenging for a state title after winning the District I championship in convincing fashion, went 1-2 and returned home without a trophy.
“It wasn’t a very restful night,” Sloper said of the night before state. “A lot of emotions were going through me. I was angry. I was mad at them and was upset for the rest of the team.”
The girls met with Sloper after the season and apologized. They asked for a second chance.
“I told them they’d have to work their butts off to earn respect back,” Sloper said. “I told them they were still welcome in the program as long as they showed me they’d turned around.”
Heath said the incident was completely out of character for her and Loe.
“It was a one-time thing,” said Heath, a four-year starter. “It was really devastating. It was hard to get over.”
Before the season started, Sloper named Heath, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average, the team’s captain.
“We regret it a lot,” Heath said. “But we’ve felt accepted by the team and everything. We worked it out. It’s really hard to (gain) back the trust of the community and everything.”
Senior middle hitter Kim Sather said the issue was over long before this season began.
“It was unfortunate that it happened,” Sather said. “But we all forgave them pretty quick. It hasn’t been an issue at all this year.”
St. Maries (23-5) cruised to the District I title last Saturday, earning the Intermountain League’s top seed to state, which begins Friday at Coeur d’Alene High School. The Lumberjacks open against District III runner-up Weiser (10-6) at 11:30 a.m.
The 5-foot-11 Heath, who had a match-high 24 kills in the district final, has averaged a team-high 15 kills per match. Sather and senior outside hitter Katie Felix have each averaged about eight kills per match.
“Our skills have elevated this year,” Heath said. “Defensively, we’re playing a lot better than we did last year.”
Heath believes she’s a much better player, too.
“My attacks have gotten a lot more aggressive,” she said. “I’ve learned to hit different angles than just the same shot all the time.”
Sather said the Lumberjacks are much better than the team that won district last year.
“We really didn’t lose anybody so we’ve been building since last year,” Sather said.
Sloper agrees.
“We’re a much stronger team. We have a lot more weapons on offense,” Sloper said. “And defensively, we get our hands on most balls.”
The Lumberjacks played in the state title match in 2005. Sugar-Salem, last year’s state champ, returns the core of its team.
“I remember watching Sugar-Salem last year and I’m pretty sure we can beat them,” Heath said. “We can definitely compete with them.”
Sather concurs.
“We just have to play together,” Sather said. “The biggest thing for us is communication. If we play our hardest we’ll do well.”
St. Maries’ stay at state should be longer than it was a year ago. Heath, for one, plans to make sure of it.