RANGELY | The Rangely High School volleyball team dropped two matches over the weekend, falling on the road to Soroco High School on Friday and at home to Meeker on Saturday.
The Panthers came into Friday night’s matchup at Soroco following a 3-2 loss to Vail Mountain the previous Saturday. Soroco also was looking to rebound after a 3-2 loss to Meeker.
Rangely fell 3-1 to the Rams, with final scores of 25-23, 26-28, 22-25 and 17-25.
Senior Courtney Files led the Panthers’ offense with seven kills and added five digs. Fellow senior Aubrianna Tapia contributed six kills on a .267 hitting percentage, while sophomore Natalie Bollinger added four kills and a block.
In the backcourt, senior Kaelyn Geer had seven digs and 14 serve-receive passes. Freshman Teagan Behunin added five kills, eight digs and a team-high 23 serve-receive passes. Sophomore setter Isabella Cox led the offense with 13 assists, while sophomore Rylee Kenney contributed six assists and two aces.
Head coach Angie Hill said the weekend was challenging. “This weekend was tough. We had an injury on Friday that made the dynamic of the game change. Saturday was mentally challenging. I hope the girls can learn from it and move on,” Hill said.
The next day, Rangely returned home to host the Meeker Cowboys, hoping to rebound from Friday’s loss. The Panthers were swept 3-0, with final scores of 25-19, 25-12 and 25-12.
Hill said she saw positives despite the losses. “On Saturday our serving was so much better. We saw that we need to work better as a team,” she said. She also highlighted players stepping into new roles. The first-year head coach said the team is still finding its rhythm. “I think we are working on finding our groove still but I think we’re close,” she said.
Looking ahead to Friday night’s home matchup against Vail Christian, Hill said the focus will be on teamwork and finishing.
Hill emphasized keeping her team motivated through the ups and downs of her first season. “Midseason is tough, so we need to keep our goals in mind,” she said.
With the losses over the weekend, Rangely fell to 5-7 on the season. The Panthers look to rebound Friday when they host the Vail Christian Saints.