The Meeker High School volleyball team carried its momentum into the final week of September, earning back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Caprock Academy and Hayden while continuing to sharpen its game ahead of the postseason.
The Cowboys swept Caprock before traveling to Hayden the following day and earning another straight-set victory, improving to 10-3 overall and 6-2 in Western Slope League play. Meeker sits fifth in the league standings and was ranked No. 16 in the CHSAA Class 2A seeding index as of Sept. 28.
“What I really like and what I love about my team is their defense,” Coach Greg Cravens said. “I even got comments last week. Gosh, they just play such great defense, and they don’t let the ball hit the floor.”
Cravens pointed to senior Keelan Dade and junior Norah Loar as two players helping anchor the back row but said the defensive effort has been a team-wide commitment.
“They’re running all over the gym, which I appreciate very much,” Cravens said.
Against Caprock, Meeker recorded 56 digs, with Loar leading the team with 14. Dade added 13, while Sawyer May and Gracee Gardner each finished with nine.
The Cowboys also produced 34 kills, led by senior Ruth LeBlanc with nine. Lili Hernandez added seven, while May and Raegan Clatterbaugh each had six and freshman Graysie Coryell finished with five.
Meeker also recorded 12 aces, with Clatterbaugh leading the way with six and Hailey Schwartz adding four.
The next day at Hayden, the Cowboys continued to show their defensive strength, recording 71 digs in three sets and committing no serve-receive errors.
Coryell led Meeker with 14 digs, followed by Loar with 13 and Clatterbaugh with 11. At the net, Schwartz recorded six total blocks as Meeker finished with seven as a team.
“I loved the way our team trusted each other and got in a rhythm,” Schwartz said. “Instead of worrying about who’s gonna get the ball, we played trusting that everybody could do what they do and rack up points.”
Offensively, Meeker hit .198 against Hayden with 30 kills. LeBlanc led with six kills, while Coryell and Clatterbaugh each added five.
Schwartz also contributed four kills and six total blocks, including five solo blocks.
The Cowboys served at a 90.5% clip and recorded 14 aces, led by May with six.
Schwartz credited the back row for helping the offense operate efficiently.
“I felt that the offense went really well, especially thanks to our back row,” Schwartz said. “We had one of our best passing games which allowed me to run quicks with the middles and set up a clean and organized offense with lots of kills.”
The back-to-back sweeps also gave the Cowboys an opportunity to show they could maintain their level of play against different opponents.
“Sweeping Hayden right after beating Caprock was a good reality check for the team,” Schwartz said. “Although sometimes it feels like we have a tendency to play up or down, these games proved that we are capable of staying strong, and as Coach Cravens says, ‘play at our standard.’”
While the defense has provided a consistent foundation, Cravens said the next step is continuing to build confidence and become more productive offensively.
“What we’ve been talking a lot about is confidence and knowing we can do it,” Cravens said. “We’ve been working on our offense quite a bit, and I’d still like us to continue working on being better offensively.”
Cravens said the Cowboys had been averaging around 10 to 12 earned points per set but reached 17 against Hayden.
“I was like, holy moly! The girls are trying, figuring it out now,” he said.
Schwartz said the team’s ability to extend rallies has also become a defining characteristic.
“Right now, I think our team is doing really good at getting the ball back over,” she said. “I love how no matter the situation, we don’t give up, and fight to keep the rally going. We’re a very scrappy team and I think that’s one of the things that makes us great.”
Meeker travels to West Grand for a 1 p.m. match Saturday, Oct. 3.
Cravens said serving and offense remain two areas he wants to see improve.
Schwartz said the Cowboys are also working to become more precise with their offensive placement as they prepare for tougher opponents.
“We’re still looking to improve our accuracy on hitting certain spots,” Schwartz said. “Especially when we eventually play big schools with big hitters, we need to find ways to score more points, no matter how advanced the team may be.”
With the postseason approaching, the Cowboys are also working toward a chance to host a regional.
Cravens said Meeker’s schedule has intentionally challenged the Cowboys against larger and more physical programs throughout the season, and he is pleased with where the team stands at 10-3.
“I talk to the girls a lot about the next ball, next match, next set,” Cravens said. “We just can only control what we can control.”
As the Cowboys continue toward the postseason, Cravens said the goal is to raise the team’s offensive production while maintaining the defensive identity that has helped carry Meeker to its 10-3 start.
“We’ve been working really hard these last two or three weeks on where we could get possible points and different shots from different positions on the court,” Cravens said. “We’re looking for a high line. We’re looking for deep seam shots. So the girls are working really hard, and I look forward to where we’re going to go from here on out.”
Meeker’s Hailey Schwartz sets the ball for teammate Liliana Hernandez during an earlier match this season. Schwartz has helped lead the Cowboys’ offense while also contributing at the net as Meeker continues its push toward the postseason.
JARED HENDERSON PHOTO