Two weeks of two-a-day practices filled with activities, injuries and building relationships have led the Trapper volleyball team up to its first action of the season this weekend.

“I think they are ready to compete,” Trapper volleyball coach Scott Keister said.

He said that the team has been competing hard at practices for the first two weeks, which led him to backing off this week in practice to allow the players to heal up before the first four games this weekend.

The Trappers kick things off Friday against North Idaho College at 9 a.m. in the Big Sky Challenge taking place in Butte, Montana.

That is followed by a night game against Wallace State Community College-Hanceville at 7 p.m.

Keister expects those two contests to be difficult, facing off against a North Idaho team that always puts together a strong group, and a Wallace State team that received votes in the preseason NJCAA rankings.

Northwest follows that up on Saturday with a game against Dawson Community College at 11 a.m. and finishes the weekend with a game against the Carroll College JV at 3 p.m.

“We want to use these first few weeks to figure out who goes where and who meshes well together,” Keister said. “We will try a few different lineups, throw some kids into different situations and see what happens.”

He said that the current lineup for the Trappers is easy to pick due to the minor injuries on the team, and he wants to rest some players another week or two so that those injuries do not turn more serious.

“What is the point of pushing hard through the first four matches?” Keister said. “Those matches count but you would rather be healthy a month from now.”

Following the Big Sky Challenge, the Trappers will host the first home games of the season next Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the Trapper Invitational. 

That invitational will open Thursday night for the Trappers at 7 p.m. against Wallace State.