2022 Fall High School Sports Preview: Shadle Park volleyball back into state spotlight

Brooke Meyer understands the history and legacy associated with Shadle Park volleyball better than most.

Entering her 23rd season as the Highlanders coach, Meyer has led Shadle to four state trophies – including one of the program’s six state titles in 2008.

But following decades of dominance in the 1980s and ’90s, success has been harder to come by in recent years, with just one state appearance between 2009 and 2020.

Make that two after last season.

“The girls took so much pride in last season and they worked so hard to get back to state,” Meyer said. “All I heard from the returning kids is that we are going back to state.

“They got a taste of it last year and it has translated into high work ethic this summer with the kids showing up, and now we feel like we are right back where we left off.”

Gone from last season’s team that finished as Greater Spokane League 2A co-champions at 13-7 overall and 9-1 in league are five starters, including a pair of all-league talents. But that doesn’t mean the cupboard is bare for Shadle.

The lone returning starter, junior Abbey Flerchinger, brings an imposing 5-foot-11 frame to the middle of the floor to pace the Highlanders’ attack.

A first-team all-league selection last year, Flerchinger said she believes the loss of so many starters won’t stop Shadle from contending for another league title.

“We’ve talked nonstop about our expectations and we are going to work as hard as we can to get back to state,” Flerchinger said. “People haven’t looked highly on our program recently, and that makes us the underdogs.”

Along with Flerchinger, Meyer will lean on the experience of starters like senior outside hitter Kenzi Johnston, one of the few seniors on Shadle’s roster.

“We all pick up our own slack and we all want to succeed for each other, which is nice for a team that already has that effort and dedication,” Johnston said.

With so many new faces in the rotation for the Highlanders, Johnston said having a talented player like Flerchinger in the middle of the court will be invaluable for the team’s success.

“She really challenges everyone on the court both in practice and in the game with her height and skill,” Johnston said. “She can hit pretty much any position and her leadership skills are impeccable. When we are low, she knows better than anyone how to lift us up.”

That leadership ability both on and off the court will be key for Shadle this season as it looks to come out on top of a talented GSL 2A field. Last year’s co-champion Pullman (12-6, 9-1) returns league MVP Margot Keane along with second-team selections Sophie Armstrong and Lily McNannay.

“It’s cool that we get to start the season in nonleague play and get games against some of the powerhouses, so by the time we get to league play we are ready for the battles,” Meyer said. “This year is going to be tough. West Valley has a lot back, Pullman is always good and Clarkston has a lot coming back, so it’ll be fun and we are ready.”

If this young Shadle team can find a groove through the season that carries it back to the Yakima Valley SunDome in November for state, it will be the first time since the 2007-08 seasons that the Highlanders have played in consecutive tournaments.

“This is a team that can not only make state, but place highly,” Flerchinger said. “We are coming from different skill levels right now, but we have the bar set really high.

“We want to hold up to what we did last year and to the history of this program, so seeing all the success we’ve had in the past is very motivating.”