Eight volleyball seniors will lead Lady Panthers

RANGELY I Eight seniors will lead the lady Panther volleyball team this year. After two weeks of practice, the team will travel to Montrose this Saturday for a scrimmage before opening the season the following week in Glenwood Springs.
“Practice has been going well and we have 26 girls playing volleyball, which is awesome,” head coach Jimmie Mergelman said.
Dennis Rohn coached the team last year but has since moved away and Mergelman has stepped back into the head coaching role, assisted this year by Cody Brunton and Kristin Cushman.
The lady Panthers finished fourth in the league but placed second in the district tournament, advancing them to the regional tournament, where their season ended last year.
“We have seven seniors and six returning varsity players this year,” Mergelman said.
Rangely seniors Brittany Babineaux, Leslie Hernandez, Myriah Moreno, Shelby Neiberger, Kelsey Prosser, Quincey Thacker and Heather Turner will provide the leadership for the lady Panthers this season.
Mergelman said Babineaux, Hernandez, Neiberger, Prosser and Thacker, along with junior Aimee Hogan all return with varsity experience.
Mergelman expects a tough league again this year with Meeker, Paonia and Hayden providing the competition in the West Slope League.
“There is always a sleeper team that will appear towards the end of the season,” Mergelman said.
The league also features Hotchkiss, North Park, Plateau Valley, Soroco, Vail Christian, Vail Mountain and West Grand.