MEEKER | The Meeker High School volleyball team opened its 2025 season last weekend at the Glenwood Springs Tournament, finishing 2-2 after two days of play.
The Cowboys started strong Friday afternoon with a straight-set win over Pagosa Springs, 25-15, 25-15. The victory marked the second straight year Meeker swept Pagosa to begin the season.
“It felt really good,” head coach Greg Cravens said. “I even told the girls I was nervous, they were a little bit nervous, so we had a slow start, but the girls picked it up. We played together really well that first match, and I was really proud of what we did.”
Senior Rylee Sullivan said opening her final season with a straight-set win was a special moment.
“I would say it was a great accomplishment, especially since it was our first game with a brand-new team. I’m very proud of every girl and all they contributed. Chemistry will come with time, and while communication can always improve, I think we talked enough to get us through the weekend. As my last first game and last first win, it was emotional, but I was happy and proud of what we did and what we can accomplish this season,” Sullivan said.
Cravens said strong execution carried the Cowboys through both sets.
“I thought overall, we passed well,” he said. “I thought server speed was really good in that gym. Raegan was good at the net, Rylee was really good at the net, so we had some kids that stepped up offensively that really helped out a lot.”
Later Friday night, Meeker fell to tournament host Glenwood Springs in straight sets, 25-22, 25-18. It was the second straight year the Demons topped the Cowboys at the tournament.
“They are very good. They serve well — that libero was actually on my daughter’s club team back when they were 13 years old, so I’ve known how good she’s been forever,” Cravens said. “She just served us off the court that second set. We were flat-footed and flat-platformed, and that’s just not going to work against serves like that.”
Despite the loss, Cravens said his players showed fight.
“I thought we did a good job scrambling. Our serve receive was not very good, but if Jacey couldn’t get to the ball, somebody else would,” he said. “We did a decent job of putting the ball back over on their side. We didn’t make a lot of errors, they just made a lot of points, and defensively we just couldn’t keep up.”
On Saturday morning, Meeker bounced back with a sweep of Roaring Fork, 25-22, 25-23.
“We battled even though things weren’t clicking well for us,” Cravens said.
The win improved the Cowboys’ record to 2-1 before closing tournament play against Coal Ridge. The last time these two teams played each other it was the Cowboys getting the 3-1 win back in August 2021. This time the Titans controlled the match, winning in two sets, 25-17, 25-20.
“Their serve was very tough. It exposed our weaknesses in serve receive,” Cravens said. “We couldn’t get in a flow because we were always out of system. Serve, receive and block are concerns for us.”
The loss evened Meeker’s record at 2-2 to start the year. Cravens said the tournament highlighted both strengths and areas for improvement.
“We have things to work on. I need to find a rotation that works better for us,” he said. “Passing and blocking will be better the next time we play.”
Meeker has this weekend off before returning to action Sept. 5 on the road at De Beque. Cravens said preparation will be key.
“De Beque has a very good hitter we need to be ready for. She played well against us this summer, so we need to be ready,” he said. “Preparation is probably going well because Coach Turner and Coach Steerman are in charge.”
With a weekend off, the Cowboys will use the time to sharpen their rotations and clean up passing before heading on the road to face De Beque on Sept. 5.