The Durango High School volleyball team started its season strong on Tuesday by taking down the Farmington Scorpions in three sets, 25-13, 25-20 and 25-19 in New Mexico.
“I felt we were really ready to play,” said DHS head coach Kelley Rifilato. “We served really tough and blocked well to force them to move the ball around.”
Leah Wolf, Eva Stewart and Brooklyn Messier each served three aces for DHS, but the team’s other serves also gave Farmington trouble.
“We didn’t have a ton of aces, but we forced them out of position and kept serving for a long time,” Rifilato said. “I feel that’s a way to disrupt the other team’s offense right away.”
Wolf also led the Demons with 17 kills in 27 attempts. Rifilato said “everything” was working for Wolf in the game.
“She’s able to process so much and she sees the court so well,” Rifilato said. “She’s more of a finesse player – she uses roll shots and hits off the block – and she played fantastic.”
The coach had good things to say about her other players and how they worked together as well.
She said the team’s setters, Mason Rowland and Stewart, “got the ball to the right person at the right time.” Rowland finished 23 assists, while Stewart added 11.
Aava Dreger, Stewart, Josie Balestri, Rowland and Sarah Somrak all had three or more kills in the game.
On defense, Messier had 22 digs and Naomi Rowe dug 14 for Durango.
“The two of them, with their foot speed, are able to cover so much of the court,” Rifilato said. “And the combination of the two of them serving in a row makes it tough on the other team.”
Dreger, Stewart, Balestri, Wolf, Rowland and Somrak also recorded blocks for DHS.
“Overall, they all gave something and did some great things,” the coach said.
The result also marked a turnaround from last year when Farmington beat DHS twice early in the season.
“It was like night and day from a year ago,” Rifilato said. “These kids quietly trust each other. Their communication on the court is fantastic. They’re not the loudest, but they listen to each other and trust is such a huge part of the game.”
Next, the Demons will head to Bayfield for a county rivalry game with the Wolverines at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Demons will also compete in a tournament at Glenwood Springs next week.
“Bayfield is always a challenge,” Rifilato said. “These next couple of weeks, we want to keep getting better so we can enter September in a better position than we were in last year.”
