Nearly every successful high school athletic program in the country shares one thing in common: A group of dedicated athletes and coaches who work throughout the off-season to improve their skills.
This season, a group of Montezuma-Cortez volleyball players and coaches are looking to do just that. Coming off a season in which they lost 15 of their 25 matches, players and coaches are working hard to improve. By participating in open gyms, team camps and club volleyball tournaments, team members are hoping to ensure that the future of Montezuma-Cortez High School’s volleyball program will be bright.
Beginning in early January and stretching into summer, Cortez volleyball players have been participating in open gyms at the high school every Monday and Thursday. According to Head Coach Barbara Chappell, offseason open gyms are vital if the team wishes to be successful in the future.
“To be competitive, especially in the league that we are in, we have to do [open gyms],” said Chappell. Without offseason workouts, it is difficult to win in this area.”
Hoping to further build on open gyms, Coach Chappell has pushed her team to attend multiple team camps this summer. Already, the team has participated in camps hosted by coaches from Adams State College and Colorado Mesa University. The team will also be participating in a team camp at the University of Northern Colorado that will include 156 teams from six states.
In addition to the camps and open gyms, team members Beth Brown, Laurel Chappell, Naomi Penticoose and Nickelle Oliver worked to improve their skills while playing for the Four Corners Volleyball Club in Durango.
All four players were selected to join the club after a tryout. Playing with athletes from the entire Four Corners area, the girls’ club teams participated in tournaments in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Grand Junction, Phoenix, Denver and Dallas.
According to the team members who have been in the gym this summer, all the hard work is beginning to pay off.
“Coming together as a team and getting to know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses is important,” explained Nickelle Oliver. “Putting in work during the summer is important because it allows us to gel as a team.”
“As a team, we have been working on running different plays,” added Oliver. “We attended a few scrimmages in Bayfield and we played very well together.”
Ultimately, team members believe that all the hard work will pay off.
“I think this upcoming season is going to be the best we have had in a long time,” said Chappell. “I’m super excited.”
Based on the team’s hard work this summer, Cortez volleyball fans should be excited as well. If hard work is an indicator of future success, next high school volleyball season promises to be a good one.
