Local Players Compete At Spike And Dig
Tyler Zoesch
Team “That Spike Cray” consist of Lakeside Students past and present.
Over 5,000 people showed up this weekend to play or watch the 21st annual “Spike & Dig” Volleyball Tournament at the tournament’s new location, the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex. Spike & Dig is the largest co-ed 6-on-6 Volleyball tournament in the United States. This tournament was founded by Jerry Schmidt, who also co-founded “Hoopfest,” the largest 3-on-3 Basketball tournament on the planet. Jerry’s son, Brandon Schmidt, took over running Spike & Dig several years ago.
Tyler Zoesch
Kyle Powell preparing to spike the ball as his team mates watch.
Among the 308 teams, there were over 2,500 participants playing on 75 courts. Team “That Spike Cray”, included Lakeside High School Volleyball players, Ciera Loveland, Lauren Gerty, and Jenna Widman, all seniors this year. Accompanying these girls were three graduates from Lakeside, Cody Loveland, Kyle Powell, and Joe Blazek. The team played their best in the extremely hot weather we had this week and ended up winning some and losing some, but most importantly, they had fun.
A big thank you to the City of Spokane Parks & Recreation department for hosting this event at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex. Hot 96.9 provided the media sponsorship and a huge thanks to the many volunteers and scorekeepers who dedicated their time to make this tournament run smoothly.