While crews complete renovations in the high school gymnasium, the Española Valley volleyball team is practicing at the middle school on the other side of town.
The gym will reopen on Aug. 27, coach Nicole Romero said, just in time for their Aug. 30 home opener (the season begins a week prior at Kirtland Central).
“I just want the girls to have a fun season,” Romero said. “In the past two years, we’ve had to overcome obstacles, whether it was emotional or the pandemic. I think these girls just want it more than we have in the past.”
Off-court issues have spilled over and spoiled recent seasons. Two years ago, a promising start to the season ended with a three-match losing streak, and losing five of six, to knock Española out of contention. Last year ended with 12 straight losses.
Also two years ago, Robyn Garcia was the only sophomore (or younger) on the team. Now, there will be multiple freshmen starting on varsity.
Garcia, who moves from middle to outside hitter, and Rhianna Padilla, who will play defensive specialist, will be the only seniors on this year’s team. Just five players return from last year after hitter Unica May suffered a torn ACL before her senior season.
“I was a little bit tired of the way last year ended, and I didn’t want that to happen again,” Garcia said. “Knowing that I could be a senior and a leader this year was pretty exciting, to know that I could pick up my team and keep the drama out as much as possible. And that wasn’t done for me last year. I could be the leader that my team wasn’t for me last year.”
Leah Vigil joins the team as a freshman and will be the six-rotation starting setter.
“She’s going to be huge for the next four years,” Romero said.
Freshman Olivia Suazo was on the varsity roster last year, and she now will step into the full-time libero role. Romero said the passing game from Padilla and Suazo especially is as good as she’s seen in her time at Española, now entering her third year.
“It’s like a painting, it’s beautiful,” Romero said. “They’re so in sync together. Our back row hasn’t looked this good in a long time. I’m really, really excited about it.”
Mercedes Gonzales returns as middle blocker from being the lone sophomore last year, and teammates are encouraged by her progress, and she’ll be joined by sophomore Santana Martinez who has shown great potential.
“She’s not just some tall, long body anymore,” Romero said about Gonzales.
Hailey DeVargas, setter for last year’s junior varsity team, joins varsity and will hit from the right side and play the back row, where she is also joined by newcomers Quianna Martinez and Francesca Salazar. Sophomore Faith Garcia will also play a bigger role after some varsity time last year.
In the smaller gymnasium, with just two nets, junior varsity and varsity players practice together.
“It’s teaching patience for our older girls, while also getting our younger girls to step on it and get going,” Romero said.
Overall, the team still has a ways to go, especially in such a strong district. But the youthful players give hope that brighter days are ahead for Española volleyball.
“We’ve just got to concentrate and not play around,” Padilla said.
Española Valley’s first game will be on Aug. 23 at Kirtland Central.