First taste of state for the Lady Lions

MLCA heads to big dance for the first time

MOSES LAKE — The last practice of the season before the state tournament and there are peals of laughter and a great deal of hustle going on in the Moses Lake Christian Academy gym.

The Lady Lions are coming off of two wins against the only two teams that defeated them in the regular season, three players being named to all-league teams and a coach of the year nod.

Coach Dean Spurbeck was preparing his team with an emphasis on trying to have a good time and not worry too much.

"We're trying to fine tune things," said Spurbeck. "We're also working on some new things that no one has seen."

To get practice started Wednesday, assistant coaches Ashley Roberts and John Lewellyn rounded up the team for a little "queen of the court" — a three-on-three drill designed to get everyone as many touches as possible.

The drills and preparation will come in handy for the Lady Lions come Friday. The Moses Lake Christian Academy's first opponent is a team that none of them have ever seen play before, Shoreline Christian Academy.

"I think we'll be okay," said Spurbeck. "We'll just have to adjust as we see them play."

In keeping with a relaxed atmosphere, the team held a dinner Tuesday night and is planning to take in a Whitman College volleyball match Thursday night before getting down to business.

"We've been improving the whole season," Spurbeck said. "The girls are peaking at the end. Everyone is doing well."

So well, in fact, that three of the team's players were voted to all-league teams. Lindsay Dietzen and Rebecca Hallberg were voted to the first team and Bethany Verhage was voted second team all-league.

The Lady Lions' first match is at 11:45 a.m. Friday at Eastern Washington University.