Lady Panthers VB beats Meeker twice

RANGELY I Nothing like getting tested early.
Rangely Senior High’s volleyball team won three out of its four matches last weekend in a tournament at Glenwood Springs, including one against county rival Meeker.
Then the Lady Panthers turned around and played their rivals again three days later, in three games.
In their first match of the season last Friday, Rangely beat Denver Christian, winning the best two out of three games. The Lady Panthers won both games, 25-18 and 25-20.
The next day, Rangely lost to Grand Junction High School in two games, 25-17 and 25-18.
“We didn’t play our best,” said coach Jimmie Mergelman. “I felt like we should have won. We were up by six or seven in game one, and then things changed.”
The Lady Panthers returned to their winning ways by beating the Glenwood Springs JV in two games, 25-16 and 25-18.
“I made a few lineup changes here and there, and I thought we came back well,” Mergelman said.
Then came the matchup with cross-county rival Meeker. Both teams were seeded second out of their respective pools. The Lady Panthers prevailed, winning the first game 25-17, losing the second 25-16 and winning the decisive third game 15-11.
“The first game we played real well,” Mergelman said. “In game two, we didn’t play to our potential, and in game three we turned it around.”
After Tuesday’s match at Meeker, Rangely is on the road again, playing at Vail Christian — defending Western Slope League champions — Friday.