By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The Dowagiac varsity volleyball team is nearing the completion of the 2003-04 season.
The Chieftains will compete in the Class B District Volleyball Tournament on Saturday against Three Rivers in the second game at Vicksburg High School.
Paw Paw and Sturgis will play the opening game at 10 a.m. The Chieftains and Lady Wildcats will then hit the court approximately 20 minutes after the completion of that match.
It's been an up and down season for the Chieftains, who were playing for their fourth head coach in four years.
Throughout it all, the squad has shown improvement throughout the season and recently finished 10th in the Big 16 Conference tournament after being seeded ninth.
Dowagiac finished third in the Big 16 West Division behind champion St. Joseph and Lakeshore.
First-year coach Teri Tucker said that she has been impressed with how her squad stuck with it and showed a lot of dedication to the program throughout the season.
When asked what she felt was a weakness that the squad never really was able to address this season, she said the front row never really improved as the season went along.
On the flipside, Tucker said the defense showed the biggest improvement.
Tucker has had a chance to see the Lady Wildcats play a couple of times since she lives in Three Rivers.
Tucker said that the squad has been working this week on some things to try and shut down their attack. Things she spotted while watching the Lady Wildcats.
A win would propel the Chieftains into the championship match against in all likelyhood, No. 5 ranked Sturgis.
Dowagiac's roster will total 12 as sophomore Kim Luthringer returns to the varsity after spending much of the past month down on the junior varsity squad.