SPOKANE, Wash. — One of the largest outdoor 6-on-6 volleyball tournaments has taken place every August in Spokane since 1992.
This year marks 32 years of volleyball fun, with over 390 teams and 2,600 players competing.
Issac Lanctot, a Spokane native, has been competing in the tournament for many years.
"There's a lot of volleyball for everyone, and it's just a lot of fun," said Lanctot. "I've been playing in this tournament for probably 10 to 12 years now. Love it."
The tournament is held at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex every year and draws in crowds who love playing and cheering for the sport.
The Spike & Dig tournament also joined with the Evergreen Region Volleyball Association to create a non-profit, Spike2Care, which aims to promote volleyball across the Inland Northwest by funding scholarships and grants as well as a general need fund.
"We've raised just over $300,000 in the last 10 years and given out about $270,000 to people in need," said Lanctot.
Lanctot says the tournament is an example of community and comradery, as people gather even in the August heat and smokey weather.
"We're always concerned about the safety of our players and we're always looking at the air quality monitoring and luckily, it's not too bad," said Brandon Schmidt, the Spike & Dig CEO.
Schmidt took on the role of CEO after his father, the founder of Spike & Dig and the co-founder of Hoopfest, retired a few years ago.
Schmidt says the tournament has seen worse weather conditions.
"In the past when that has happened in the air quality gets over 20 on the index, whatever CDC recommends, we take all precautions necessary," said Schmidt. "We will postpone games until the quality is safe for players to play."
But this year, Schmidt and Lanctot say the weather is manageable.
"Stay hydrated, drink electrolytes. Stay out of the sun when you can. Just make sure you're paying attention to how your body is feeling," said Lanctot.
The tournament continues into Sunday, August 4, and everyone involved is encouraged to enjoy the sun, enjoy the sport and stay safe.