RANGELY | The Rangely High School volleyball team had quite the busy week as they began on the road in Meeker for a rematch against the Cowboys after being swept by them at home on Sept. 20.
Looking for redemption, the Lady Panthers battled hard but ultimately fell 3-0 with set scores of 19-25, 15-25, and 21-25.
Senior Aubrianna Tapia led the Panthers with 7 kills on a .429 hitting percentage, while senior Addison Scott added 5 kills. Sophomore Taylor Fouch anchored the defense with 11 digs, and setters Rylee Kenney and Isabella Cox combined for 15 assists. Freshman Teagan Behunin was perfect from the service line, going 12-for-12 with 6 service points.
A couple of days later, Rangely hit the road again, traveling to West Grand to take on the Mustangs. That night, the Lady Panthers fought through five sets to secure a 3-2 win on the road, with final scores of 24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20, and 15-11.
The following day, they wrapped up their weekend with a trip to Coal Ridge to face the Titans, falling 3-0 (16-25, 20-25, 24-27).
“I think the girls handled it well—they all showed up to practice ready to work each day,” said head coach Angie Hill. “We worked on offense and just playing smarter.”
Hill said the five-set win over West Grand showed what her team is capable of when they play together.
“I think it was the first game the girls really played as a team and just had a great connection,” she said. “I was so proud of how hard they played to win that game.”
While the Coal Ridge match was a challenge, Hill noted that her team “fought through and hung with them pretty well.”
This week, Rangely returns home to celebrate Homecoming. The Lady Panthers will host Hayden on Friday at 5 p.m., a team they beat earlier this season in their home tournament, and then welcome Manila on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“It will be so great to be home again,” Hill said. “The girls love it when they have a big crowd. As long as they continue to play together, they’ll do well against Hayden.”
Hill added that senior Addie Scott has stepped up as a leader, and the team’s serving has shown tremendous improvement since the start of the season.
The Lady Panthers continue to show growth and determination as the season progresses. With Homecoming on the horizon, they’ll look to build on their progress and deliver strong performances in front of their home crowd. The Panthers host Hayden on Friday at 5 p.m. and Manila on Saturday at 2 p.m. Good luck to the team this weekend and go Panthers!
Rangely’s #4 Teagan Behunin and #14 Natalie Bollinger rush toward the ball, connecting for a hit during Saturday afternoon’s match against Coal Ridge. The Lady Panthers played with determination but fell in straight sets to the Titans. THERESA HAMILTON PHOTO