Volleyball coaches reportedly fired

Panthers lose two road games

The Montezuma-Cortez volleyball team traveled to Fruita Monument and Grand Junction for games on Friday and Saturday this weekend, and they did so without former head coach Andi Pickens.

Pickens said Thursday that she and assistant coach Valorie Bauer were fired Wednesday evening. According to Pickens, M-CHS athletic director Stacey Hall informed her and Bauer of their dismissal in an email.

“Yesterday evening we got an email that said they’re making changes to the volleyball program, and we are no longer the coaches,” Pickens said.

Hall declined to comment on who would be replacing Pickens as head coach, but said, “From this point on, we’re moving on. We’re going to just go with what’s going on and move on.”

The Panthers continued without Pickens and Bauer on Friday at Fruita Monument, falling in three games (21-25, 18-25, 18-25).

On Saturday M-CHS took on Grand Junction Central, and although the Panthers were able to win game two, they dropped the match in four sets (18-25, 25-22, 16-25, 23-25).

The Panthers return to Cortez for a home game on Tuesday, Sept. 29 against Durango at 5:30 p.m.