SPOKANE, Wash. — Nearly 900 volleyball teams are competing in Spokane this weekend for the Pacific Northwest Qualifier, a national girls volleyball club tournament.
The PNQ entered its second day Saturday. This year, the tournament added a new U-18 division for the first time.
Tournament organizers say PNQ is bigger than other major Spokane athletic events like Bloomsday or Hoopfest.
“We like to brag about that,” said April Stark, tournament director.
The tournament is open to volleyball clubs across the U.S. for ages 11 to 18. The new U-18 division created a separate weekend called the “18’s Only PNQ.”
“We’ve heard some feedback from teams and parents, and they kind of like that the big kids are all here and it’s just them and everything. You know, the focus is put on them,” Stark said.
Steve Gustafson, a volleyball dad at the event, praised the tournament’s organization.
“It’s pretty chaotic, and I love it!” Gustafson said. “They do such a good job organizing these things. I can’t even imagine trying to trying to put this many kids together.”
Teams compete for three bids to qualify for the Girls Junior National Championship in Reno, Nevada in May. The youngest division of U-11 to U-14 will only have one qualifying bid.
The tournament continues on March 28th to March 30th; that when the U-15 through U-17 teams will play at the Podium in Spokane.
U-11 through U-14 teams will close the tournament on the following weekend at the Spokane Convention Center. It will be hosted on the weekend of April 3rd to April 5.
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