Renee Torrez had previously been the self-described “team mom” for the Mesa Vista High School volleyball team. She went to every single game, traveling on the bus to road games, filling out lineup cards, scorebooks and scorecards.
Leonard Torrez, the former coach of Mesa Vista volleyball, died due to complications from COVID-19 in January.
Now Renee, his wife, is poised to take over the team in the fall.
Leonard Torrez coached the Lady Trojans starting in March 2021 for an abbreviated season and then through fall 2021. The year before he took over, Mesa Vista won just two sets all year while finishing 0-20.
He won his first match on the job while facing Española Valley’s junior varsity team. They added three more wins later in the year, the program’s first varsity wins since 2018, and registering their first win over McCurdy in 12 tries dating back to 2013. A 9-12 season in 2021, despite most of the roster barely standing 5-feet tall and hardly ever attacking the net, was more wins than the previous four years combined.
Renee Torrez graduated in 2004 from Mesa Vista, where she (then Renee Martinez) cheered and played volleyball. (The school is restarting its cheer team for this year; Torrez said she applied for the coaching position but was only selected for volleyball.)
“I always had a passion for volleyball,” she said. “I played in leagues well after graduation. And now that my kids grew an interest for it, it just sparked my passion for it. When Leonard started coaching, it piqued my interest again.”
Torrez said after games, the two would talk about what happened and potential improvements.
“It just brought me back home,” Torrez said of getting the job. “I was very excited to be able to coach these girls. They are an amazing group of girls that we have here. And somewhat nervous, but overall excited.”
Torrez grew up in Medanales, and currently resides in Alcalde along with daughters Kylie, entering her junior year, and rising freshman Jaslene, expected to be key parts of the volleyball team.
“They’re excited to have me there,” Renee Torrez said. “If it can’t be their dad, they’re excited that it’s going to be me to be able to step in.”
She hopes to continue the bond that Leonard had with the players, and continue his legacy of creating a winning team.
“It’s going to be a big change,” she said. “It’s going to be challenging. I’m excited, and I’m up for the challenge.”
Torrez has high hopes for the team — saying a state championship is “a very attainable goal with this team.”
Given that Leonard died during basketball season, while he was the head coach, Renee mentioned that the volleyball team had less focus in coverage or memorials. But now their season will come with similar difficulties in rallying after a devastating loss.