Current Fort Lewis College and former Bayfield High School volleyball coach Kelley Rifilato's enthusiasm for the FLC 2014 Fun in the Sun Doubles Tournament was evident in one e-mailed line:
"Best turnout ever," she stated. "Fantastic! We had 68 teams play....a ton of people!"
With 138 players in all entered into the competition, held in May at Fort Lewis College, action in five competitive divisions boiled down to only the strongest of survivors-a few hailing from Bayfield.
The only winner from amongst that group was BHS sophomore Maddi Foutz, who paired with Montezuma-Cortez junior Laurel Chappell to defeat Montrose sophs Katie Casebier and Allie Freeburg in the Girls' 18 & Under finale.
Jannika Pope and Mavis Edwards fell to the Durango duo of Lily Chick and Lana Razma in the Girls' 15U championship, while Paul Edwards and partner Jarred Lincoln (of Coos Bay, Oregon) placed second in Men's Open to New Mexico players Richardo Sanchez (Santa Fe) and Chris Patz (Albuquerque).
In Women's Open, Albuquerque Sandia High products Rachel Hendrick (set to play at FLC after two solid seasons at Trinidad State JC) and Sami Reynolds (a University of New Mexico beach volleyball hopeful) took first place over Durango residents Tessa Andrews and Bayli Stillwell.
And in Co-ed Open, former Durango High star and now-junior at Cal State-Sacramento Sloan Lovett - teamed with Twin Falls, Idaho's Martin Levings to prevail over Durangoans Temple Levings (TFHS Class of '03, later a player at FLC) and Tyrone Yazzie.
