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Steve and Lisa Spetoskey with their daughter Lexi after last week's WHAC Tournament title.

(Courtesy photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – When Lexie Spetoskey’s parents attended a Davenport University volleyball team meeting just before their daughter’s freshman season, they came away amazed at the moms and dads, as much as the program.

“I can remember the coach mentioning that Nicole Chase’s parents had not missed a match the entire season before,” said Lisa Spetoskey. “I remember saying, ‘Boy, that would be something not to miss a match all year.’”

Imagine what parents are saying now?

Four years later, the Spetoskeys have not missed a moment of their daughter’s college volleyball career. As the Panthers prepare for this weekend’s NAIA national tournament opener at home, the couple has seen all 158 matches, home and away.

Total miles? About 28,000, nearly all of it by car.

“We never planned on doing this,” said Lexie’s father, Steve, who recently figured out the mileage. “But once we got a streak going, it was kind of hard to quit. Once her sophomore season was over we went, ‘You know, we haven’t missed a match.’ And it kind of steamrolled from there.”

More small towns than exotic stops

The trips included stops in Montana and La Mirada, Ca., with their lone airplane trip, Even then, they flew into Las Vegas and drove from there. The trips otherwise have been in rental cars, their old minivan and, for the past couple years, a lot of miles on their Dodge Journey.

Lexie Spetoskey, a former second-team all-state player at Lakewood High School, has been a versatile and steady player four seasons at Davenport.

“It’s been a blessing,” said Lexie, a defensive specialist. “I don’t know what I would have done the past four years without them. Now that I’m a senior, and it’s almost over, to think all they’ve endured and all the travel. They see all the other side, too – the emotions of me. It’s been special.”

It apparently has been for the team as well.

“We have a great group of extremely supportive parents,” said coach Megan Lenhart. “Steve and Lisa have set a high standard … They don't just come for Lexie, though. They support the whole team.”

4,000-mile trip to start her collegiate career

The streak started in 2011 with a haul – to Montana and six matches in three days in Helena and Billings. The couple rented a Honda Civic, put on about 4,000 miles with a few side trips along the way, and then drove 21 hours straight to get back home to Clarksville in time for work on Monday.

Steve and Lisa Spetoskey cheer on Davenport in one of the 158 matches they've seen.

Normally, they share the driving. Both work at Lakewood High School in Lake Odessa where Lexie, the youngest of three children, was a second-team all-state volleyball player as a junior and senior. And they seldom missed a match then, either. Lisa is the athletic secretary and Steve is the maintenance facility coordinator for Lakewood Public Schools.

“That’s probably the main reason we’re fortunate enough to have done this,” said Lisa Spetoskey. “We get out early for one. And I can work from the road as needed.”

Most of the trips aren’t as exotic as California or even Montana. In-conference trips include yearly regional stops to gyms in Fort Wayne, Ind., River Forest, Ill., and Lima, Ohio. They have also extended out to Des Moines, Iowa, La Crosse, Wis., and Georgetown, Ky.

At least the drives have been successful. The Panthers have gone 119-39 in those 158 matches.

The end of the road

But the streak is about to end, one way or the other. Davenport is good – the Panthers are 34-7, have won seven in a row and breezed through their three opponents to win the WHAC Tournament last week. But the next loss would be their last.

“The camaraderie has been the best and we’ll miss that,” Lisa Spetoskey said. “When we started there were probably three sets of parents who would be at every match. And now there are seven or eight sets of us at every match, if not all of them home and away.

“And, of course, just watching Lexie grow. It’s been a great place for her, and what a great experience it has been to see all that happen.”

The Panthers host an NAIA National Championship Opening Round match against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. A win would propel them into the final field of 24 on Dec. 2-6 that will be held in Sioux City, Iowa.

Of course, the Spetoskeys plan to be there. Then, they figure their aptly-named Dodge Journey can rest.

Pete Wallner covers sports for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at pwallner@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.