MEEKER | The Meeker High School volleyball team opened their 2026 home schedule with a pair of wins, overcoming a slow start against Basalt before returning the following day to sweep North Park.
Meeker defeated Basalt 3-1 on Aug. 28, dropping the opening set 25-22 before responding with three straight wins, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-18.
Veteran Head coach Greg Cravens said the response after the first set was one of the biggest positives he saw from his team.
“Things didn’t go our way, but then the second through four sets the girls came together,” Cravens said. “We played well. I thought we did better offensively in those three sets. The girls just battled. We needed that.”
The Cowboys had a balanced offensive attack against Basalt, with three players reaching double-digit kills. Freshman Graysie Coryell led the team with 14 kills on 44 attacks while hitting .318. Senior Ruth LeBlanc added 13 kills on 31 attacks with a team-best .419 hitting percentage, while sophomore Raegan Clatterbaugh finished with 10 kills and a .278 hitting percentage.
Meeker also received six kills from junior Hailey Schwartz and five from senior Sawyer May.
The Cowboys recorded nine service aces against Basalt, led by three each from Schwartz and Clatterbaugh. Coryell added two aces.
Defensively, Meeker finished with 63 digs. Coryell led the way with 22, while junior Norah Loar and senior Keelan Dade each had 11.
For Coryell, the game plan against Basalt was centered on taking advantage of openings in the opposing defense.
“The game plan for Friday was to find holes in Basalt’s defense and penetrate those spots,” Coryell said.
After the opening set, Coryell said Meeker was able to settle down and establish its rhythm.
“After the first set, we settled in a bit and got in our rhythm,” she said.
The match also marked Meeker’s first home appearance of the season, something Coryell said brought some early nerves.
“Playing our first home match was intimidating at first, but the older girls helped the team get in our groove,” Coryell said.
The freshman said the team’s early success has been a product of its chemistry and support for one another.
“I’m very proud of our strong start to the season, and that is all due to the cohesiveness and love we all have for each other,” Coryell said.
Cravens said the team’s passing was another area that showed improvement during the weekend.
“I was just looking at our stats tonight: We passed a 2-3 overall as a team, which is the best we’ve done all season,” Cravens said.
Blocking, however, remains an area Cravens wants the Cowgirls to improve.
“We touch a lot of balls, but we do not block,” Cravens said. “So we’re going to work on that the next few weeks and try to get better.”
Meeker carried its momentum into Aug. 29, sweeping North Park 3-0 by scores of 25-16, 25-8 and 25-15.
The Cowgirls hit .245 as a team and finished with 39 kills in the three-set match.
LeBlanc led the attack with 11 kills on 18 attacks and a .444 hitting percentage. Clatterbaugh added eight kills on 16 attacks while hitting .500. May and Coryell each recorded six kills, while senior Lili Hernandez added five kills with a .333 hitting percentage.
Meeker’s service game was even stronger in the sweep, producing 15 aces. May and senior Dawn Arnold each had four aces, while Coryell and Clatterbaugh each recorded two.
Coryell also contributed nine digs, while Loar finished with seven.
The two wins extended Meeker’s winning streak to five matches and improved the team to 5-1 on the season.
With a young varsity roster, Cravens said building confidence has been a major focus early in the season.
“We’ve talked a lot about confidence,” Cravens said. “Our girls are actually pretty young for varsity volleyball, so they’re trying to get experience. And then I want them to play with a little more confidence. We call it swagger in our gym.”
Cravens said he wants the team to continue developing the belief that it can compete with anyone while maintaining positive energy on the court.
“We’re a pretty good volleyball team, and the kids around me are pretty good volleyball players,” Cravens said. “As long as we stay positive and give positive energy to each other, we’ll be all right.”
The break between matches will give Meeker time to work on blocking and solidify its lineup. Cravens said the team’s depth has made settling on one rotation difficult, with roughly 10 to 12 players capable of contributing on any given night.
“It’s been hard for me trying to lock down one rotation when I have some different options,” Cravens said.
The Cowboys will also work on starting matches with more urgency. Cravens said Meeker had been slow to get going in its first two matches of the weekend and wants to see that change moving forward.
“We need to be better,” Cravens said. “We need to start a little bit stronger.”
Meeker returns to action Sept. 5 at home against Plateau Valley. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Coryell said the Cowgirls are looking to keep their momentum going when they return to the court.
“We’re hoping to continue our win streak to battle right back at Plateau Valley this weekend,” Coryell said.
The two victories pushed Meeker’s record to 5-1 on the season and extended its winning streak to five matches. As of Sept. 1, the Cowboys were ranked No. 26 in the CHSAA Class 2A seeding index. Meeker will look to continue climbing the rankings and keep its momentum going when it hosts Plateau Valley at 1 p.m. Sept. 5.
Meeker senior Ruth LeBlanc prepares to serve during the Cowgirls’ 3-0 sweep of North Park on Aug. 29. LeBlanc recorded 11 kills and hit .444 in the victory. Jared Henderson PHOTO