SPOKANE, Wash. — A light rain Saturday morning wore off into ninety-degree heat for the first day of the Spike & Dig tournament at Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in northwest Spokane.
“A little bit of rain, you know it’s nice to see the 80s 90 degrees,” Jason Curry, the President of Spike & Dig said.
Curry was excited to see the clouds Saturday morning which provided some relief from the sun after spending the past week setting the tournament up in the heat. “All of the nets get set up on Friday, and it takes all day on Friday, all the way until about 9 p.m., you know, plus with that 105-degree heat yesterday, It was a long day,” Curry said. Tents and fans helped keep players cool as they prepared for the tournament, and the weather. “Warm weather, you know, great game, so just a great opportunity to do something that we love. We play volleyball every Sunday with people from our church, beach volleyball every Sunday,” Jeremiah Sibley, one of the tournament competitors said. The co-ed tournament included 86 courts, 392 teams and all skill levels, which gave opportunities for families to compete together. “My entire family plays, my dad plays, all my siblings play, so it’s a great family affair. My dad’s been playing for 30 years, but ever since I’ve been able to walk, we’ve been down here watching and playing, Kylie Boschma, a Spike & Dig competitor said. Curry also has family ties with the tournament. He took over for his uncle who founded the event in 1992. “My cousin and I are now officially the owners of the tournament, and we love it, you know we have all of our family here, my wife, my cousins, my parents all help, and it’s just a great family event,” Curry said. Players played through the heat, and Curry said the weather has been enjoyable for most of the competitors. “People love playing volleyball right now, so as long as the winds stay away, then these guys will be happy. We’ve got a lot of vendors out here, a lot of drinks, it’s great for all the players,” Curry said. The tournament runs Saturday and Sunday, with more than 2,700 people playing in the tournament.
