As with most volleyball fans throughout Colorado’s southwest, Ben Martinez couldn’t deny Dolores’ developed talent—knowing some of Brianna Wyatt’s Bears would soon be suiting up for new basketball boss Michael Nielson.
Martinez and the Bayfield High School girls basketball team will begin the 2025-26 season Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. against those talented Dolores athletes.
“I watched their volleyball team and…wow, they’re athletic,” said Martinez, set to begin his second campaign leading the Wolverines. “They can move, they’re quick, so we’re looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be a tough game.”
Martinez and his squad had scrimmages against Ignacio, Durango and Cortez to prepare for a season without graduated do-it-all Renae Foutz. Fortunately for BHS, virtually everyone else on last season’s varsity roster returns.
“We’ve gotten a lot of different looks and…we’re still learning and hoping to grow and keep building,” Martinez said, “to help the girls to be the best they can be. Our saying is ‘Pursuing excellence every day, every play’—personal excellence that makes the team excellent.”
Now-juniors Vivien Clance and Kimball Anderson regularly emerged as the second and third options behind Foutz, and will anchor the backcourt for 3A Bayfield (6-17 overall, 0-12 3A/4A Intermountain in ’24-25). Sylvia Hesford will start her senior season as BHS’ primary post, with support coming from sophomores Grace Brown and Natalie Osendorf. Charged up by once again filling a key role for state-qualifying BHS volleyball in the fall, sophomore Kieley White Thunder is expected back along with seniors Lily Muir and Arriyanna Cundiff.
“Hopefully she’ll be able to stay healthy,” said Martinez, alluding to the latter’s injury history. “But we do have a pretty good core back—they got a lot of minutes last year! We have quite a few freshmen out; we’ve got some bigs—probably about 5-foot-9-inches-ish—so that’s good. We’ll be able to build on what we started last year, which is exciting.”
After welcoming 2A Dolores (7-16 overall, 4-8 3A/2A/1A San Juan Basin in ’24-25), the Wolverines will pause from competition until visiting Creede (13-11 overall; No. 28 seed in the 2025 1A state tournament’s opening round of 32) on Dec 12. Bayfield will then host 5A Durango’s JV on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m., before closing out 2025 hooping on Dec 18, 19th and 20th at the Rye Holiday Classic.
