One year after replacing Robin Oliger as head coach of the Durango High School volleyball team, Colleen Keresey feels right at home.
Keresey embarks on her second season in place of Oliger, who coached the Demons for 25 seasons. With an energetic group of players, Keresey is optimistic about what this season will bring.
“I’m definitely more comfortable this year, and I will attribute that to having a full offseason with the team,” Keresey said Monday. “Having them all summer has been great; they know what to expect from me, and I know how to push them. Most of these girls I’ve had since their freshmen and sophomore years when I was with junior varsity, and it has been fun to grow up with them.”
DHS will open its volleyball season at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night against non-conference, regional rival Bayfield and the Wolverines’ star middle blocker Kirstie Hillyer.
“We’re ready for the game. Practice has been high energy, high intensity, and the girls are looking forward to playing somebody else,” Keresey said. “Bayfield is a solid team, and our girls play club with those girls and know them really well. It’s a fun rivalry, and we are excited to play at home, because we didn’t get that opportunity a lot last year.”
The Demons lost five captains from last year’s squad to graduation, but Keresey has been impressed with this year’s five seniors, as well as a large junior class.
The front row of DHS will be led by 5-11 junior Sarah Waller, who is a right-side hitter.
“She is consistent and puts up a big block,” Keresey said of Waller.
Keresey said three girls are competing at middle, and she called all of them explosive players who can “put the ball down.”
DHS junior Maddie Robertson returns at outside hitter. Keresey called Robertson an all-around great volleyball player.
With the combination of DHS sophomore Alli Davis, Raven Sallon-Cyr and Waller, Keresey expects her team to be explosive at the net.
Logan Clark, a senior, returns as the team’s setter. She is pushed every day in practice by junior setter Addi Swift.
Keresey also is excited about her junior varsity squad and the future of the DHS team.
“We have 11 sophomores on that JV team, and we practice next to them every day. They’re bringing high energy,” she said.
After finishing 12-13 overall and 6-4 in league games last season, Keresey wasn’t ready to put any win predictions on the table, but she believes her girls will have something to play for at the end of this season if they can stay focused.
“With this team, all the girls are leaders in their own way, and they all really respect each other,” Keresey said. “We have goals in mind, but we really are trying to focus on the process of getting there and not so much the end result.
“If we come to work in practice with attitude and effort, the wins and losses will take care of themselves come postseason time.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
