“The growth in this team has been incredible,” Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate volleyball coach Chelsea Caler wrote in an email to The SUN Wednesday.
While the Lady Pirates dropped to a 2-13 record with losses to Alamosa and Durango over the last week, the coach highlights, “We’re communicating better, playing more cohesively and reading the ball on defense so much more effectively. The girls are scrappier, more confident and you can see the little details from practice showing up in live play. We just have to keep building and refining.”
The Lady Pirates hosted the state’s top 3A team, the Alamosa Mean Moose, on Thursday, Oct. 2, for a league affair.
“We really showed up to compete against Alamosa — it was some of the best volleyball we’ve played all season,” Caler wrote. “Our block came alive, and our defense worked together beautifully. We did a great job keeping their hitters out of rhythm and out of system for much of the match.”
The Lady Pirates lost in three sets: 25-16, 25-17 and 25-9.
Caler notes, “The shift in momentum during the third set was definitely tied to the long pauses and discussions with officials, which made it hard for both teams to stay in rhythm. Once Alamosa’s middle found her groove and started putting balls away, their offense caught fire and we struggled to grab the momentum back.”
The Lady Pirates logged 12 kills in the match, with Lexi Campbell leading with five, followed by Dawson Iverson’s three and two each from Avea Bruce and Amber Snarr.
Alamosa tallied 39 kills in the match and nine serving aces.
Pagosa picked up one serving ace by Tatiana Monterroso.
The Lady Pirates put up three blocks, with Bruce logging one solo block, and Hayden Peterson, Bruce, Kaila Limebrook and Iverson each putting up an assisted block.
“Hayden and Amber had an outstanding performance shutting down their outside hitters, while Kaila and Avea both got strong touches and a few key blocks against their middles,” Caler highlights. “Dawson and Lexi also came up with some big blocks against their right side.”
The Lady Pirates tallied 33 digs, led by Snarr’s nine and Charity Domingo’s seven.
Peterson picked up all 10 of the team’s assists on the night.
The team logged 52 serve receptions, with three Lady Pirates in double digits: Snarr took 16, Domingo took 14 and Monterroso received 10.
“That match was a major confidence boost for us,” Caler wrote. “We played as a team, and we proved to ourselves that we can compete with the bigger programs. It was fun to watch — and I’m really proud of the girls for how they showed up.”
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Lady Pirates hosted the 4A Durango Demons.
“We played some really solid volleyball against Durango,” Caler wrote. “Since switching up our defensive system a few weeks ago, it’s been paying off. The girls have been working hard on blocking and defense, and it’s showing. We’re also being more aggressive at the net, swinging more and finding ways to score. We’re staying right in step, score-wise, with our opponents.”
The Lady Pirates fell in three back-and-forth sets against the Demons: 25-18, 25-21 and 25-19.
The team had 20 kills in the matchup, with Iverson and Campbell leading with seven each.
The team had four serving aces, with Peterson notching two, and Domingo and Monterroso logging one each.
The Lady Pirates put up seven total blocks, with the coach highlighting Snarr and Campbell had two solo blocks each. Limebrook put up two block assists, and Campbell, Peterson, Bruce and Snarr each had one block assist.
The team picked up 49 digs, led by 12 from Monterroso, 11 from Campbell and 10 from Domingo.
Peterson had 16 assists.
The team had 59 serve receptions, led by Limebrook’s 14 and 12 each from Snarr and Monterroso.
Next Tuesday, the Lady Pirates will travel to Bayfield for a rematch with the Wolverines.
Pagosa lost 3-0 to Bayfield on Sept. 16, with the Wolverines currently sitting as the No. 6 team in Colorado 3A volleyball with an 11-5 record.
“Bayfield is always a high-energy matchup, and I’m excited to show them the new and improved Pagosa team,” Caler wrote. “We’re ready to compete, and ready to win.”
randi@pagosasun.com
