RANGELY | The Rangely Panthers began last week on the road at Moffat County High School in Craig, Colorado, on Sept. 9, bouncing back from a loss to North Fork the previous Saturday with a 3-1 victory over the Bulldogs.
The Panthers won the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21 before dropping the third 19-25. They closed out the match 26-24 in a tightly contested fourth set, needing the two-point margin to secure the win that evening.
Seniors Addison Scott (No. 7) and Aubrianna Tapia (No. 13) led the attack with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Sophomore setter Rylee Kenney (No. 10) paced the offense with 25 assists and added 13 digs, while senior Kaelyn Geer (No. 6) anchored the back row with 20 digs. Kenney and sophomore Natalie Bollinger (No. 14) combined for 23 points at the service line, including three aces from Bollinger.
Head coach Angie Hill said the team could have executed better. “It got too scrappy and a little too panicked at times,” she said, noting Kenney’s ability to adjust as a setter was key to the win.
The victory pushed Rangely’s record to 5-3. The Panthers returned home Friday for a rematch against Caprock Academy, pushing the Eagles to five sets after losing 3-1 earlier in the season. Rangely won the first set 25-18, dropped the next two 25-20 and 25-19, rallied to take the fourth 25-15, but fell 15-9 in the decisive fifth set.
Tapia led at the net with seven kills and three blocks. “Swinging with confidence definitely helped with my kills, and as for blocking, I finally adjusted to their hitters and got their timing down,” she said.
Scott added eight kills, freshman Teagan Behunin (No. 4) contributed strong serving and consistent defense, Geer added 18 digs, and Kenney had 20 assists to distribute the offense. Hill noted a struggle in serve receive during the fifth set proved costly. “We really dug a hole in serve receive in the fifth set, which made it harder to come back from,” she said.
The Panthers traveled to Vail Mountain the next day for another five-set matchup, winning the first set 25-18, losing the second 25-19, winning the third 25-12, and dropping the final two sets 25-22 and 15-13. Hill praised the team’s resilience. “I love that they just keep going. To me, they don’t even show that they’re tired or defeated,” she said.
Geer anchored the back row with 22 digs and strong serve-receive. “Communication is definitely key, and positivity keeps everyone up and going! I genuinely do my best to stay as positive as possible for my team, and as team captain I also do my best to make it known that I am here for everyone, which in ways helps on the court. While we don’t win every game we play, it is obvious that we improve every game! Whether that’s physically playing or meshing as a team, we constantly get closer and do better. For this upcoming weekend, our team will most likely focus on personal and team goals that we come up with on Mondays. Keeping a positive and determined mindset will really allow us to play to our potential!”
With a 5-5 overall record, Rangely will travel to Soroco on Friday before returning home Saturday to host Meeker. “After this weekend, our main focus is going to be getting more touches on defense,” Hill said. “I think these girls can handle whatever is thrown at them. They are resilient and will be ready to play.”
