Montezuma-Cortez’s volleyball program has certainly been through a lot during the past eight months. The Panthers made a run to the state semifinals during the spring season, then lost seniors to graduation.
But on Tuesday, with new leadership from the coaching staff and the Panthers on the court , the Panthers made their final home against Mancos a celebration of achievement on many levels for the program.
M-CHS honored five seniors in a four-set victory over the Bluejays, just hours before the Panthers halted volleyball activities because of a COVID-19 outbreak until Oct. 26. The Panthers (11-5, 2-5 3A IML) still aim to work out their scheduled league match against Centauri, as the Falcons look to hold on to second place behind league champion Bayfield.
A trip to Pueblo also awaits first-year head coach Caroline Glover’s squad pending their clearance to resume activities, as they take on Pueblo East and a handful of Front Range opposition in their annual trip to the Steel City on the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 30th.
In the Senior Day match, the first meeting between the county rivals since 2013, Mancos showed their continued progress toward being a contender in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League behind head coach Brianna Yeomans-Allison. The Jays looked to spoil the Panthers’ night, edging the hosts 26-24 in the opening set.
The Panthers responded with emphatic wins in the second and the third sets to wrestle back momentum, 25-11 in the second, and 25-14 in the third.
Then, in perhaps the set of the season for both teams, the fourth set seesawed numerous times, with both teams having opportunities to close out the set before M-CHS finally prevailed 34-32 to take the match.
“I’ve really been impressed with this year’s seniors’ positive attitudes, hard work, and resilience,” said Glover after the victory. “They’ve been coachable and have a desire to always play their best.”
The five Panthers seniors, Avery Wright, Sariah Robinson, Adezdiin Boeckman, Elinore Muhonen and Cheyenne Castillo-Calvillo, have been a steady part of a program that has rattled off four consecutive winning campaigns.
“We’ve made small goals throughout the season, from match to match, and sometimes from game to game,” said Glover, “and the girls have recognized the importance of those goals.”
M-CHS sits in 16th in the 3A classification’s RPI rankings, and will comfortably qualify for the 36-team field in the 3A regional tournament on the first weekend of November. A top 12 seed would allow the Panthers to host a regional pod.
Ultimately, though, Glover sees the bigger picture of what this season has meant for her girls. “The legacy of this group’s success is measured in more than our win/loss record,” she said. “These girls celebrate all of our successes, and have both won and lost with integrity and sportsmanship.”
