Holiday Inn Express Invitational Field

LEWISTON, ID-The Lewis-Clark State College women’s volleyball team will open the 2001 season Thursday, August 23rd, against Simon Fraser University at 7:00 PM, to kick off the Holiday Inn Express Invitational at Warrior Gymnasium.

The field may be one of the best ever for a volleyball tournament at Lewis-Clark State. Three teams, including L-C, are ranked in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll, Seattle University represents the newly formed Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and Simon Fraser and the University of Victoria are strong Canadian teams.

Lewis-Clark State (21-6 in 2000) enters the Holiday Inn Express Invitational with a #25 ranking in the NAIA preseason poll. Middle blocker Amber Weatherspoon and outside hitter Angela Igoe are back, and healthy, for this season. Igoe, a two-time NAIA All-America (1998 and ‘99), is closing in on the career kill record of 1,751 set by Kymm Lingnaw from 1994-97. She needs 595 kills to tie the record. Weatherspoon is a two-time All-Frontier Conference selection and can finish an attack with force.

Concordia University of Portland (29-2) enters with a ranking of eighth in the NAIA preseason poll. The Cavaliers were two points shy of making the Elite Eight and at one point during the year, had won 27 straight matches. The defending Region champions return five starters from that team, including the Pacific Northwest Region Player of the Year and NAIA First-Team All-America, Mindy Wallis. She averaged 13.5 assists per game and had a hitting percentage of .362. Emily Weaver, an honorable mention All-America, averaged 3.7 kills from her right side position. Andrea Rose, an All-Region selection, averaged 3.1 kills as a middle blocker.

Bellevue University (33-5) is a name familiar with baseball fans in the region. The six-time NAIA World Series participant will have their volleyball team invade Lewiston. The Bruins open the season with a #10 ranking and will look to get back to the National Tournament after earning the fifth at-large bid last year.

Seattle University (4-23) is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II. Nicki Wolfert was an honorable mention All-PacWest selection last year along with Cassandra Hussey. Wolfert led the Redhawks in: kills, 319; digs, 234; and, blocks, 29. Hussey led the team in assists with 550.

Simon Fraser University (19-13) lost to Albertson in the regional semifinals last year and return two starters from last year’s squad. Allison Ireland is the leading returnee in kills with 217. Brita Main will take over as the team’s setter. She had 100 assists last year.

The University of Victoria will play at the NAIA level for the first time this year after being a club team for the first two years.

The schedule for the three-day tournament is as follows:

Thursday, August 23- Simon Fraser at LCSC, 7:00 PM
Friday, August 24- Seattle vs. Bellevue, 9:00 AM; SFU vs. Concordia, 11:00 AM; LCSC vs. Victoria, 1:00 PM; Bellevue vs. SFU, 3:00 PM; Seattle vs. Victoria, 5:00 PM; LCSC vs. Concordia, 7:00 PM
Saturday, August 25- SFU vs. Victoria, 9:00 AM; Seattle vs. LCSC, 11:00 AM; Concordia vs. Bellevue, 1:00 PM; SFU vs. Seattle, 3:00 PM; Concordia vs. Victoria, 5:00 PM; LCSC vs. Bellevue, 7:00 PM