Quick, but by no means painless, the Montezuma-Cortez High School Panthers volleyball team’s exit from the playoffs marked an end to a frustrating 2013 season.
Opening the Class 4A Region 3 playoffs in Colorado Springs on Nov. 2 against defending 4A state champion Cheyenne Mountain, the Panthers fell behind early and never recovered, losing in three sets, 25-11, 25-10, 25-22.
According to Panthers’ head coach Barbara Chappell, nervousness played a role in her team’s lopsided defeat.
“(Cheyenne Mountain) won state last year,” said Chappell. “My girls went in pretty nervous. They played a little tight. They got better as they went through.”
Shortly after falling to Cheyenne Mountain, the Panthers matched up against Eagle Valley, dropping a hard fought contest, 25-11, 22-25, 23-25, 25-11, 15-12.
For the Panthers, the inability to close out the match represented the continuation of a season long trend of tight losses.
“We played right in there with them,” said Chappell. “At the end, we just couldn’t get the job done. That has been our MO all season.”
Highlighting the Panthers’ loss to Eagle Valley was the play of junior Beth Brown, who, according to Chappell, performed admirably.
“(Brown) really came along,” said Chappell. She kept hitting through the block and played some really good defense.”
With the losses, the Panthers finished their season with a 9-15-1 record overall, leaving Chappell eager to return to the gym and improve.
“We’ll start open gym in February,” said Chappell. “We’ll try to get the girls over to club competition in Durango. That’s what we have to do in this league if we are going to be competitive.”
