The Montezuma-Cortez volleyball team landed two seniors on Intermountain League all-conference teams.
Danielle McDonald was selected to the conference’s second team, and Skylar Robinson was named honorable mention.
As the Lady Panthers’ middle hitter, McDonald led the team in blocks and kills.
“She was our No. 1 hitter, just across the board,” said head coach Dave Robinson. “She was our go-to, so if we were behind or needed that boost, we always went to her. She became, not necessarily an unstoppable hitter, but definitely a high-yield hitter.”
Robinson said that aside from her production, McDonald was also a quiet leader on the team, setting an example for the team’s less experienced players with her actions.
“Especially with some of the younger kids watching her, the leadership that she showed out on the court physically,” he explained. “She wasn’t much of a talker, but she definitely physically went out and showed how to play.”
Robinson, who was named all-conference honorable mention as a setter, led the Panthers in assists and was second in blocks. She was also the team’s vocal leader.
“She was much more the vocal and emotional leader,” Robinson said. “But her hustle is always something that I’ve admired, because she felt like every ball was reachable. No matter if it was a great pass or a bad pass, she tried to better the ball and move into position. And her verbal and emotional leadership was where she really led the team.”
Robinson and McDonald worked well together, with the former setting the latter up for kills. Attempting to explain how instrumental the pair were to the team’s success, Robinson cited the Lady Panthers’ 3-2 win over Grand Junction Central in September.
In that contest, Robinson had 133 ball handling attempts and 30 assists, while McDonald had 40 attack attempts and finished with 11 kills.
“That just showed the connection that they had,” said Robinson. “They knew when the other wanted it quick, they knew when they wanted it higher or a little further outside. They worked really well together.”
“By far they were my two biggest leaders,” he said. “And we’ll need somebody to step in and replace them next year after this type of year is going to be tough. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen, so I’m excited about that.”
