Last year, the Dulce High School volleyball team had one of the strongest volleyball teams that they have ever had. They went 16-3 overall and won their 3A district handily, only losing one game in district play to Santa Fe Prep.
But, that golden season came crashing down in the playoffs, as the number two seeded Dulce were upset by Estancia High School 3-2. Dulce Head Coach Kathleen Salazar-Valdez said they played horrible in their playoff game and lost due to a net violation.
She added that the team was dealing with a loss, as Salazar-Valdez’s mother, and a couple of the players’ grandma, passed away right around district tournament time.
The Lady Hawks ended up losing three seniors, and two captains, to graduation last year, including their most crucial player in Makaela Largo. Largo was a strong middle hitter who Salazar-Valdez often turned to in order to put the finishing touch on a game.
Salazar-Valdez called Largo “a gift” for her volleyball program. Largo will be attending Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. this year to take her volleyball skills to the next level of play.
However, Largo’s sister, Tayeshaun Largo, is still on the team, and looks a spitting image of her older sister apart from the height. Tayeshaun Largo will be one of Dulce’s go-to’s in the back row and if they need someone to fill in on the outside.
Salazar-Valdez is planning on filling Makaela Largo’s middle hitter spot with sophomore Caitlin Duncan. Duncan does not possess the sheer stature that Largo had, but according to Salazar-Valdez, Duncan can jump higher than anyone on the team.
“I don’t know about this year, but maybe next year,” Duncan said of filling Makaela Largo’s shoes. “I don’t think I’m strong enough or big enough.”
But, Duncan was pretty confident in her team’s ability this coming year, especially with an eye aimed at winning their district yet again. They will be competing for their district title against McCurdy Charter School, Monte del Sol Charter School and Santa Fe Preparatory School.
All three of those schools within Dulce’s district are in a similar predicament to Dulce, having to account for key roster losses due to graduation. So, Salazar-Valdez really has no idea what she is to expect from all of those schools.
One position that will stay the same for the next four years is that of setter. Last season, Jasmine Salazar was an eighth-grader on the varsity volleyball team. If that were not enough responsibility for a young player, she was named a captain and starting setter.
“They’re on the court all the time,” Salazar-Valdez said. “They are the quarterback for the team. So, I will always run the setter as the captain.”
Even though she is young, Salazar is hoping to get on a track toward playing college volleyball. She is the only returning captain on the team, and Salazar-Valdez is eyeing a couple of potential candidates to fill the two captain slots left vacant by graduating seniors.
Salazar-Valdez is headed into her 15th year as the head coach of the Dulce volleyball team. Part of what has allowed her to possess some consistency in her program is that she has always allowed eighth-graders to play on her varsity teams.
As well, she works hand-in-hand with the middle school program to make sure that they are consistent with teaching techniques and schemes, which will allow an easy transition to high school.
But, one of the biggest struggles for Salazar-Valdez and her program is players leaving for other schools. She had three players transfer schools from last year, including what would have been her starting 6-foot-tall middle hitter that could have replaced Makaela Largo.
Salazar-Valdez admits that she has a tough mentality to coaching and can be aggressive with her approach to the game. She is a firm believer in structure, and likes a team that is disciplined and follows direction.
She said she takes quite a bit of her coaching mind from her brother Stanford Salazar, the Dulce girls basketball coach, who acted as her mentor when she first started out coaching volleyball.
The Dulce volleyball team are slated to play their first regular season game, Aug. 29, against Cuba High School. In addition to regular season play, the Lady Hawks will be participating in a couple of tournaments to whet their appetite for the higher divisions and stronger programs.
They were invited to the Piedra Vista Tournament and the Santa Fe Indian School Tournament, both of which will pit Dulce against opponents in higher divisions.