Panther volleyball aiming for tourney

RANGELY I The Rangely volleyball team traveled to Meeker last weekend for triangular format play. They had two matches Saturday, both league games, against Vail Christian and Meeker.
The games could not have been any closer in the match against Meeker. The two teams forced two of the five games into extra points before declaring a winner. The Panthers came out strong in game one, winning 25-13. They continued their solid play and won the second game 25-23. The third proved both teams were tenacious and don’t easily accept defeat. Rangely lost the game in a remarkable fight 27-29. The fourth game found both teams fighting for victory. The game was intense and again went to Meeker in extra points, 24-26. Going into the fifth game, the momentum turned and Meeker won the match with a 15-11 win. The Rangely vs. Meeker match always brings out the best in competitive play and showcases athletes who rise to the occasion.
Rangely was led by senior Brittany Babineaux’s 17 kills and 20 combined blocks. Haeley Enterline, Quincy Thacker and Hailee Russell each had eight kills and Thacker and Enterline combined for 30 total blocks. The Panthers served an impressive 96.4 percent as a team and proved they are capable of playing outstanding volleyball.
“These girls are special in that they understand what they must do to get back on track,” said coach Rohn. He knows there is a lot of volleyball left to be played and looks forward to the remainder of the season.
The next match for the Panthers was against league-leading Vail Christian. The first game Rangely came out and played well, but lost the game 21-25. The Panthers came back strong, proving they would not be easily shut down, to win the second game 25-23. The third game was another good game but found Rangely trailing at the end 20-25. The fourth game was unlike Rangley’s earlier play and they lost 13-25. The team was led offensively again by Haeley Enterline and Quincy Thacker with six and seven kills respectively. Leslie Hernandez had 17 points for the team as they once again served an impressive 96 percent as a team. The Rangely defense was led by Brittany Babineaux and Quincy Thacker who combined for 24 blocks. Aimee Hogan had 22 assists in the match.
The Panthers will be a team to reckon with by tournament time.
“I would not trade this team for anything,” Rohn said.
The remainder of the season offers ample opportunities for the Rangely team to peak. They play Paonia and Plateau Valley this weekend.