Durango High School volleyball’s 2024 season ended poorly, with the Demons losing eight of its final nine matches, including two in the 5A regionals. Therefore, head coach Kelley Rifilato went to work this summer to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
The Demons finished last season 10-15 overall and 3-7 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League. Durango finished its season with a 3-0 losses to Ralston Valley and Legend in the regionals to end its season. The Demons missed the state playoffs for the second consecutive season.
After losing four-year starting setter Eva Stewart, senior outside hitter Avery Rike, senior defensive specialist Tyler Trujillo and senior middle blocker Stella James, Rifilato knew she needed to dedicate a lot of time to the returners and newcomers in the summer. The team wants to win league but needed to reshape itself in the offseason.
“I feel good … we played a lot in July,” Rifilato said. “We played every single weekend in July. We put in a three day tournament every single weekend in July. The kids committed we graduated some key parts last year, and we just needed the experience. It was a great month of July, but it was long.”
Stewart was a super important piece to the Demons’ success the last four years. Because of this, Rifilato took eight girls on the roster and basically started the setter position from scratch in the summer. She’s cut the potential setters from eight to four, with seniors Indie Shows, Aysia Mathews, junior Swift Webber and sophomore Devyn Edwards.
Those four players are a little different from each other and those differences give the Demons some versatility at the position.
Three of the biggest returners are Mathews, Edwards and senior outside hitter Hadyn Neiman.
Mathews spent some time as an outside hitter last season before tearing her ACL during the middle of the season. She was cleared to return at the end of June and Rifilato held her back a little bit to start, but Mathews has been making huge strides as the Demons approach the season.
Edwards was a stellar freshman last season, finishing third on the team in kills.
“She's improved 100% and she's put in the time,” Rifilato said about Edwards. “She's in the gym every day, all the time, literally all year. It shows, because she's a high-flyer, she's really getting up there. She's grown a ton; she's probably second tallest on the team now … Her volleyball IQ has really grown.”
Neiman returns to the team after finishing second in kills as a junior last season. Her senior year will be her fourth season on varsity. Rifilato said Neiman’s a strong attacker who’s a natural-born leader. She’s the coach on the court who rallies her teammates around her.
“She’s gotten stronger, but I believe her biggest strength is blocking,” Rifilato said. “She's a phenomenal blocker. She has a lot of different attacking shots now, which she gained this winter.”
There’s a battle at libero for the Demons similar to the battle at setter. Senior Mia Carozza returns after her role grew throughout last season. Junior Olivia Cuellar can play libero and as one of the pin hitters and junior Celia Metz is also an option at libero. Rifilato thinks the team’s opening tournament will help determine who plays the most at libero.
Rifilato is grateful to have so much versatility on the team. She knows there are a lot of high school teams out there that have kids who can only play one position. She thinks nine of her 11 varsity players can play any position.
In addition to the team’s versatility, Rifilato thinks the strengths of the Demons are their ball control and defense. She expects her team will dig, block and slow down balls so they can get better attacking.
The Demons will have to compete in the tough 4A/5A Southwestern League, where Rifilato thinks any team can be dangerous depending on the night.
Palisade won the league last year at 10-0 and 22-5 overall but graduated seven seniors. Grand Junction and Grand Junction Central’s players all play club volleyball together, according to Rifilato. Montrose returns two very strong outside hitters, according to Rifilato, and finished 8-2 in the league and 18-10 overall last year.
Another tough task for Durango is its schedule. Durango starts the season at the Dixie Invitational in St. George, Utah. After that, the Demons will be on the road, including a tournament at Lewis-Palmer, until Oct. 10. Then, the Demons will finish the season with six consecutive home games as they try and hit their way to a league title.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
