RANGELY | The Rangely High School volleyball team stayed home this past weekend, hosting Grand Valley High School on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers entered the matchup with a 3-1 record, while the Cardinals arrived in Rangely at 1-4.
The meeting came one week after Grand Valley fell to Rangely in straight sets at the Panthers’ home tournament. That loss was the Cardinals’ seventh straight to Rangely.
On Saturday, the Panthers extended their winning streak over the Cardinals to eight with another sweep. Rangely won 25-22, 25-17, 25-21, improving to 4-1 on the season.
New head coach Angie Hill said she was proud of her team’s poise and energy throughout the matches.
“Super proud of how much energy and how mentally strong they were through this game,” Hill said. “They just played really well and had fun while playing, and that was just awesome to see.”
Hill pointed to the third set as a turning point. “I think in set three we just really worked through,” Hill said. Looking deeper into the season, Hill said the Panthers will focus on sharpening their execution.
The Panthers will face their first road tests this weekend with matches against Caprock Academy on Friday in Grand Junction and North Fork on Saturday in Hotchkiss. Hill said both opponents will present tough challenges, especially with Caprock returning several upperclassmen and North Fork known for its scrappy play.
“Playing away is always a challenge, but I think that after the way the girls played today, we can carry that on to next weekend and continue to stay mentally tough,” Hill said.
Rangely plays at Caprock at 6:30 p.m. Friday before traveling to North Fork for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday.
