Preview Volleyball

State tourneys return to area

North Idaho will be the site of the state tournaments the last week of October.

Just where the 5A, 4A and 3A tourneys will be held may not be decided until the week before state. The Idaho High School Activities Association has ruled that a school qualifying for state can’t play host to a state tourney. The three 5A schools in Kootenai County – Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Post Falls – will play host to state tourneys. With two area 5A teams earning state berths, there’s a chance that two of those schools could qualify. If that happens, for example, the one school that doesn’t qualify would be the site of the 5A tourney.

The State 2A tourney will be held at Lewiston High’s Booth Hall and 1A at Lewis-Clark State College.

All-North Idaho returnees

Eight of the nine players selected to the All-North Idaho first team graduated. Hannah Nyrop, a senior outside hitter from Kootenai, is the lone returner. Here are the returning first-team all-league picks from the area’s three leagues:

IEL: Kama Griffitts, junior outside hitter, of Coeur d’Alene.

IML: Shawna Heath, senior outside hitter, of St. Maries.

NSL: Nyrop, the league’s most valuable player; Katie Baker, junior outside hitter, Coeur d’Alene Charter; and Fawn Story, senior outside hitter, Mullan.

Super seven

Here is our list of the top players in the region:

Griffitts; Nyrop; Heath; Piper Wahlin, sophomore, outside hitter, Sandpoint; Maddie Dolny, senior, setter, Moscow; Koko James, sophomore, setter, Sandpoint; and Lacy Hopkins, senior, setter, Priest River.