With an all-new coaching staff and missing three starters who graduated last year, it might have been realistic to expect a rebuilding year for the Patagonia High volleyball team.
Instead, the Lobos put together their best season since 2016, qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in eight years and compiling a 15-8 record.
Those efforts were recognized with the announcement of the 1A South all-region team. Patagonia’s first-year coach Andres Cuevas shared Coach of the Year honors with San Simon’s Kari Wade, and sophomore Amaya Somoza was named first-team all-region setter. Three other Lobos—senior middle blocker Alexis Fimbres, junior outside hitter Brianna Majalca, and junior setter Emma Lewton earned second-team all-region recognition, and junior Lulu Donnelly and freshman Monique Snell earned honorable mention.
“I was so surprised,” Cuevas said of the coaching recognition. “We were new together. After the award was announced, I called Brenda (Somoza, assistant coach) and I told her I don’t think I deserved it, she deserved it too.
“I think it was a successful season. We rebuilt the team without three starting players. We got to state for the first time in a long time. It was something to build on.”
Cuevas said the recognition for Amaya Somoza (Brenda’s daughter) was well deserved. She was the Lobos’ sole setter at the start of the season, but when Lewton returned from injury, they went with a two-setter offense that showcased Somoza’s all-around skills.
“There was no doubt. She’s an awesome player,” Cuevas said. “She works really hard in practice. She’s wise, she’s clever, she can spike, she can set, she can defend. She was second best in the region on (service) aces. Next year she’s going to be even better.”
Cuevas also praised the Lobos’ other honorees.
“Brianna, she deserved to be on the first team,” he said. “Alexis was an awesome middle blocker. Emma, when she came back (from injury), we were able to play two setters. They had a good performance, all three of them.”
Patagonia’s state tournament appearance ended with a 25-16, 25-9, 25-11 loss at fourth-seeded North Phoenix Prep.
“We didn’t have a bad performance,” Cuevas said. “They (North Phoenix) were really, really good.”
Of the eight players in Patagonia’s regular rotation, Fimbres is the only one finishing up her high school career. With a wealth of returning players and another year of coaching continuity, there’s good reason to be optimistic about next season.
“As coaches, we have worked together for a year now, we have some things in mind to work on,” Cuevas said. “There’s still work to do on the emotional point of view. That’s a good thing that we are realizing that. It’s not always about skill, sometimes it’s in the brain.”
Filling Fimbres’ leadership role will be another challenge.
“Alexis is awesome,” Cuevas said. “She’s going to leave a big hole that we’ll need to fill. She’s an excellent leader. We are going to miss her.”