Rangely volleyball team goes 5-0 in Montrose tournament

RANGELY I The season is still young, but so far, so good for Rangely High School’s volleyball team.
In fact, real good.
The Lady Panthers — expected to be one of the main contenders in the Western Slope League — started off the season in fine fashion Saturday, winning all five of its matches against bigger schools in a tournament at Montrose.
“Even though we played the junior varsity of most of these schools, it was definitely a good test for this group of girls,” said Lady Panther coach Jimmie Mergleman. “I am proud of the girls. We had a great week of practice and they came here with a goal of 5-0, and because of the hard work, they accomplished their goal.”
Next up for Rangely is today when they travel to De Beque. The Lady Panthers’ first home match is Sept. 22 against Altamont, Utah.
“It seems like forever away,” Mergleman said of the home opener.
Rangely got off to a slow start in the first match Saturday against Grand Junction Central, losing the opening game.
“Then we came back like champions and won the next two,” Mergleman said.
Next, the Lady Panthers beat the host team in two games. Rangely’s third match of the day — against Cortez — was the toughest.
“Cortez had a couple of girls who really knew how to play the front row and they made our hitters think a little bit, but that did not frustrate them in the slightest,” Mergleman said.
Still, the Lady Panthers beat Cortez in three games.
In its final two matches of the tournament, the Lady Panthers beat Fruita and Durango, ending the day with a perfect 5-0 match record. Just like they had hoped.
“We still have a lot to work on, to get where we want to go as a team, but all in all, I’m happy how the girls came together,” Mergleman said.