RANGELY | The Rangely Panthers volleyball team just wrapped up a grueling stretch of five matches in eight days, emerging with a solid 9-1 record on the season, 2-0 in league play.
The Panthers, hoping to keep their undefeated record intact, faced a tough Caprock Academy team on Friday in Grand Junction. Despite a strong effort, Rangely fell in three closely contested sets (21-25, 19-25, 22-25). This marked the second meeting between the teams in a week, with the Panthers winning the first, a league match, but dropping the second during Caprock’s homecoming.
The Panthers quickly rebounded on Saturday, dominating Vail Mountain in a league match with a 25-15, 25-21, 25-15 victory. Aubrianna Tapia and Lexi Lebleu led the offensive attack with 7 kills each, while Emma Winder contributed 6 kills. Winder and Kaitlyn Cox were also strong from the service line, recording 4 and 3 aces respectively, with Emmeree Wagner leading the team in service accuracy at 92.3%. At the net, Lebleu was a force with 5 blocks, Tapia added 4, and Addison Scott chipped in with 3 blocks of her own.
Defensively, Winder and Wagner each had 9 digs to help control the back row, while Cox set the offense in motion with 16 assists, complemented by Karlee Halcomb’s 8 assists.
The Panthers are gearing up for a big week ahead with a homecoming match against Soroco on Friday, followed by a key rivalry showdown against Meeker on Saturday.
