Thursday night lights shine bright on Bengal volleyball

Oct. 2—For the first time ever, the lights at Lewiston High School's P1FCU Sports Complex shone over volleyball action.

Laid out on the football field Thursday was a temporary court supplied by Pacific Northwest Volleyball for a Class 5A Inland Empire League clash between the Lewiston Bengals and visiting Moscow Bears that doubled as the main attraction of Judy Fong Pink Night.

The Bengals were not about to disappoint the large-and-enthusiastic home crowd the unique spectacle drew, maintaining a steady edge over the Bears from the middle of the first set onward. With Lewiston up two sets and holding match point in the third, Madeline Taylor passed from the back row to junior opposite hitter Chloe Way, who delivered a spike that skipped off the top of the net on its way to becoming the match-clinching kill.

The final scoreline read 25-14, 25-19, 25-17.

"It was so energetic," Lewiston's Darby Litchfield said. "We had so much fun, and I'll definitely remember this experience for the rest of my life."

Each Lewiston starter was announced with a nickname in the pre-match ceremony, with monikers such as Kamdyn "K-Dog" Welker, Callie "C-Money" Fisher, Avery "The Bear" Balmer, Chloe "Legacy" Way, Tressa "Baby Giraffe" Lukehart and Emery "Mama" McKarcher. Some of them jogged toward the stands and launched pink balls into the crowd after their numbers were called.

Additional fanfare included pre- and mid-match light shows and a contest before the final frame in which spectators came down and attempted to win commemorative shirts laid across the court by serving balls onto them.

Bengal players interviewed afterward agreed that the match was memorable not only for the spectacle, but also for the conditions of playing under the stars on an unconventional surface.

"I feel like it gives a lot more bounce," Lukehart said of the court, which was considerably more pliable than a gymnasium hardwood. "You feel like you're kind of levitating above the turf."

Added junior middle blocker Elle Walker, "I've played beach volleyball, but this was way different with the tiled floor. It was cushiony."

Balmer (seven kills, 10 digs) and McKarcher (22 assists, five aces) topped the stat sheets on the day for Lewiston (10-6, 3-4).

Though they were neither the focus of the fanfare nor the victors of the match, the Bears (1-11-2, 0-4) took positives from the evening as well.

"It was an absolute blast," Moscow coach Kacey Cooper said. "I think all the coaches, all the players on both teams — I even think the student body for Lewiston and our own fans — had a blast doing something new and exciting. Both teams played well; yes, it was an adjustment to being outside, so it took a little bit, but overall, I think everyone played incredibly well with the change in venue."

Lauren Venzke (five kills), Leila Tiegs (seven digs) and Katherine Cummings (four assists) were the top statistical contributors for the Bears.

Both teams wore pink jerseys in keeping with a breast cancer awareness theme to the event honoring a former Bengal volleyball coach who passed away from the disease in 2014. The outdoor setup was modeled after a Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball match held at their football stadium in 2023.

"I thought, 'Gosh that's a great concept,'" Lewiston coach Marie Huffman said. "Trying to implement it here at Lewiston, thankfully my athletic director (Doug Henderson) was like, 'Yeah, let's do it.'"

Among those in attendance — and participating in the event's pink theme — was longtime Lewis-Clark State tennis coach Kai Fong, the late Judy Fong's husband.

"It's always such a nice honor to have the community here supporting volleyball, and to have people remember her for a long time," he said. "Being an educator, it's always special for her; she would have loved to see this and be a part of all this. It's certainly very humbling to see all of this as a memorial and to see the kind of energy that's out here."

The LC State men's and women's tennis teams also attended wearing pink shirts in a surprise show of solidarity with their coach.