Lady Panthers win 2 matches in Glenwood Springs

RANGELY I Rangely volleyball coach Jimmie Mergelman “was pleased with the weekend,” as her team traveled to Glenwood Springs for a tournament. The team gave their coach plenty to be excited about, winning two of four matches and forcing a tough Denver Christian School to three games.
The young team showed they are going to be contenders, coming up big against league team West Grand. Rangely lost the first game 17-25, but rallied back to win the second 25-21, and finished the match with a 15-8 third game win.
The lady Panthers were led by a slew of young players. Katye Allred served an incredible 31 times for the team, added seven kills and three blocks. Simone Heinle served 13 times and was a force on defense, picking up 48 digs in the match. Aimee Hogan set the ball 34 times for 14 kills and Antoinette Dorris set 28 times resulting in 10 kills.
This game gave the team momentum for the Denver Christian match. The Panthers came out strong, winning the first game 25-23, letting the 3A powerhouse know they were there to play. They fell short in game two 17-25, and battled in game three 13-15. Allred led all servers with 16 and she added four kills. Heinle served 12 times and once again played well defensively, coming up with 24 digs. Carrie Goddard served 11 times and had five kills in the match. Hogan set the ball 24 times for six kills and Dorris had 18 for four kills.
The last match was short and sweet for Rangely as they came out and beat Grand Valley in two games, 25-21 and 21-19. Heinle had another 24 digs, Allred added 15 more serves and Hogan and Dorris each set the ball 10 times for eight and six kills, respectively.
Rangely’s fourth match was against another 3A team, Coal Ridge. The girls fell in two games, 25-15 and 25-16. Overall, the team played extremely well especially given their age and experience.
Mergelman said, “We played well, but still have room for improvement.”
Mergelman is joined this year by assistants Cody Brunton and former player Kirsten Cushman, and the combination looks to be a good match.
The team prepares for Plateau Valley on Friday night in Rangely with games scheduled for 3, 4, and 5 p.m. and travel to Hotchkiss on Saturday.