Volleyball teams will face tests at Asics tournament

A lot of coaches look for good tournaments to take their teams to in preparation for tough region play.

Lone Peak volleyball coach Deanna Meyer is no exception. Only in her case, she opted to start a whole new tradition with the inaugural Asics Rocky Mountain Champions Classic, which will be hosted by Lone Peak and Lehi High Schools this weekend.

"I think we have really good volleyball in Utah and I wanted to showcase some of the best teams," Meyer said. "I'm hoping this will take volleyball to a whole new level."

Meyer hopes to attract teams from out-of-state so that local squads can measure their ability and progress against the rest of the country. This year Idaho Falls will participate in the tournament, as will nearly all of the top 20 teams in 3A, 4A and 5A.

"It's a lot of work, but I've tried to make it something that the best teams will want to come to," she said.

The tournament features 5A's top-ranked team in Fremont, as well as 4A's No. 1 team, Cottonwood. Traditional powerhouses like Brighton, Snow Canyon, Morgan, North Sanpete and Provo, join will square off against top programs like Taylorsville, Pleasant Grove, Dixie, Carbon and Lehi.

The tournament will be updated on-line on the Lone Peak website as soon as matches are finished. Pool play will begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. and the championship rounds start Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The championship matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. in four different divisions.

The tournament, held at both schools on both days, costs $2 for adults and $1 for students.

JAGUAR COMMITS: West Jordan guard Jessie Smith will take her basketball talent to North Platte Community College in Nebraska this fall. Smith played club basketball for the Utah Passion this past summer.

OTHER COMMITMENTS: A number of athletes who played basketball for Salt Lake Metro this past summer also earned college scholarships. Heather Anderson, Woods Cross, will attend Otero Junior College, Jenica Johnson, Davis High, will play for Western Wyoming; McKenzie Jones, Viewmont, will play for Salt Lake Community College; Rachel Rasmussen, Emery, will head to the College of Eastern Utah; and Celeste Wouden, Box Elder, will play for Snow College this year.

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com