Spike & Dig volleyball tournament to see largest numbers since start in 1992; ‘It’s definitely a historical year for us.’
One of the largest 6-on-6 volleyball tournaments in the world is returning to Dwight Merkel Field this weekend, with the largest number of registered teams and players since its debut 32 years ago.
Spike & Dig, founded in 1992 by the same people who started Hoopfest, will start at 9 a.m. Saturday with multiple brackets based on age, ranging from adult divisions to junior high divisions, tournament co-owner Jason Curry said.
Teams will have the opportunity to play a minimum of three matches Saturday, with the single-elimination tournament beginning Sunday.
Tournament co-owner Brandon Schmidt said there are multiple skill levels throughout the tournament. Some people are professionals, some are college athletes and some just play to have fun.
“It’s a great event for family and friends to get out and enjoy the sun, have some competition and just have a lot of fun,” Schmidt said. “I think it’s just a great community event and a really fun weekend.”
Curry said with more than 385 teams and 2,700 players registered, the tournament is at its largest it has been at in the past three decades.
“It’s definitely a historical year for us. It’s great to see that,” he said. “After COVID, the numbers were down quite a bit, and now it really shows us that Spokane’s getting out there and is ready to start taking in some events.”
Schmidt said he expects to see more than 1,200 matches played in the 75 courts throughout the weekend.
While he is looking forward to seeing familiar faces, he is also excited to see the tournament grow.
“We have a ton of new people that have not experienced it themselves before, so it’s exciting to see them have their first experience out at the park,” he said.
Schmidt, the founder’s son, and Curry, the founder’s nephew, have owned the tournament together for three years, but both have been involved for much longer.
Curry has been involved with the tournament for 15 years and would play each year before he took over. Schmidt grew up with the annual tournament weekend because it began when he was just 5 years old.
While the tournament is a big community event, Curry and Schmidt see it as a family reunion because some of their aunts, uncles and cousins visit for the weekend.
“It’s a really great time for a lot of our family to come together and put on an event that brings out the community,” Schmidt said. “Our family is really proud to be able to give back to Spokane and have an event that brings a lot of joy to a lot of people.”
Registration for the tournament is closed, but match schedules will be posted Thursday on the Spike & Dig website. Community members can watch the tournament for free and enjoy the food vendors and a beer garden , Curry said.