The 2016 season should be a breath of fresh air for the Montezuma-Cortez High School volleyball team.
Last year, the Lady Panthers struggled to a 4-19 overall record and a 1-9 record in league play – landing them in the cellar of the 4A/5A Southwestern League – and saw former head coach Andi Pickens fired midway through the season.
But this year comes with changes, as Dave Robinson takes over as the new head coach and the school has dropped into Class 3A and moved to the Intermountain League.
Robinson, who serves as one of the school’s assistant principals, returns to coaching after last leading the boys soccer program.
He spent six years at the helm of the boys soccer team and a year as an assistant, five years as an assistant with the girls soccer team and has experience coaching youth volleyball.
“I love coaching and I’m very excited to get back into coaching,” he said. “It always makes me nervous. Even when I was coaching soccer every year I would be a little nervous – but it’s more of an excitement.”
There’s also excitement with M-CHS’ move from the 4A/5A Southwestern League into the Class 3A Intermountain League.
But that doesn’t mean Panthers’ schedule is dramatically easier, as the Intermountain League is riddled with great programs.
Alamosa is coming off a 20-3 season and returns a solid core, Pagosa Springs is fresh off a trip to the Class 3A State Tournament, and Bayfield has won more than 20 games in six of its last nine seasons.
“It’s a tough conference,” Robinson explained. “We played Bayfield last year and lost to them. It’s not like we went from a 4A league that was up here and we’re dropping to a 3A league down here. The number is dropping but I don’t think the competition is dropping.”
“I can’t say that all of a sudden we’re at least going to be five-hundred,” he continued. “It’s a goal. It’s definitely a goal to win more games than last season. But it’s a solid league that we’re moving over into.”
The Panthers will look to improve off of last year’s 4-19 record, and they’ll do so without the help of Kristin Pierce and Laurel Chappell, who both graduated in the spring.
“They were two great players and great leaders,” said Robinson. “That was something that, when they walked off the court, was going to be a huge piece that needed to be replaced.”
Luckily for the new head coach, the Panthers return five seniors with valuable varsity experience, in Danielle McDonald, Skylar Robinson, Rylee Lindsley, Kaila Carver and Michele Coyote.
Juniors Tyra Pinnecoose, Hanna Carver and Hailey White, and sophomore Chloe Seaburn are also back after seeing varsity time.
Last year, even with a shortened season due to injury, McDonald led the Lady Panthers in blocks. And Pinnecoose led in serves received and digs, while Robinson led in assists.
In a new addition, the squad will add sophomore Aryelle Wright, who transfers in from Dolores.
Wright was the Lady Bears leader in kills and digs last season, and although she may miss a few games after transferring, Robinson expects her to contribute.
“She will have to sit out for some of the games due to her transfer, but she will fit in nicely with the team when she is cleared from those games,” he said. “She is a competitor and wants to make everyone around her better.”
The Lady Panthers don’t begin play until next Tuesday, when they will travel to Ignacio. So with over 40 players vying for a spot on the varsity squad, Robinson is still working to find the right fits.
“Starters, I couldn’t even tell you right now,” he said. “But all of the girls are really competing in practice so far. They’re really pushing each other and working hard.”
