The Patagonia Lobos volleyball team has traveled far and wide to earn one of the top rankings in the state. But what they’d really like is to be able to share some of that success with their hometown fans.
The Lobos were ranked fourth in Class 1A in the initial state rankings that were revealed on Tuesday, trailing only Cicero Prep, St. David and BASIS Flagstaff. They’ve compiled a 8-0 record in games that are factored into the rankings after back-to-back road victories on Monday and Tuesday over Bisbee and Lourdes Catholic.
But they’ve scarcely been seen around these parts thanks to a combination of scheduling, Mother Nature and a leaky gymnasium roof that cannot be repaired without financial intervention from the inadequately funded State Facilities Board.
Monday’s 25-19, 25-16, 25-13 victory over Bisbee was rescheduled from home to away because the forecast for rain would have rendered the gym floor unsafe for play. It was the second home game impacted by the weather — a Sept. 15 match against St. David was rescheduled for Oct. 19 for the same reason. As a result, they’ve played only two home games in the first five weeks of the season — and none since Sept. 10.
Coach Brenda Somoza said that’s been the biggest disappointment of the season.
“They love home games,” Somoza said. “They love the energy and the crowd. They like to play in front of their family and friends and parents and their teachers and this community.
“A lot of the parents around here work full-time, so it’s not like they can just drop what they’re doing halfway through the day and try to get to a game. So they’re missing out on getting to watch their kids compete. And for the seniors this year to have now two of their home games taken away from them, it’s really disappointing.”
But the Lobos haven’t let the disappointment affect their play on the court. In addition to their eight “official” wins, they’ve played in three multiteam tournaments in Willcox, Scottsdale and Tempe, compiling a 7-5 record primarily against much larger schools.
Most recently was last weekend’s Epic Tourney Invite in Tempe, where they went 2-3. All three losses were to 4A and 3A schools, and one of the victories was over 5A Nogales, with more than 1,700 students, compared to Patagonia’s 68.
“We were able to compete and hold our own,” Somoza said. “I feel like out of those three (losses), maybe one of them we could have won if we would have played a little bit better, but overall it was a great tournament. We got to play some good competition.
“We got to see some things we don’t normally see. I’m like, guys, you know, this is how volleyball’s supposed to be. And I think they enjoyed it because they were really fast-paced games.”
Somoza said she’s seen improvement across the roster. She said junior Nicole Cabrera continues to grow in her new role as an outside hitter, and junior Reyna Valasquez is making big strides at libero. “They’re all doing a great job,” she said. “I feel like everyone’s coming along and improving.”
But there remains plenty of room for improvement, in all aspects.
“Always defense, always serving, always passing,” she said. “We’ve been working a lot on blocking. I really try to break up the practice so we hit all the skills throughout the practice. I don’t throw a lot of new stuff at them. So yeah, we’re just hammering away at the same stuff.”
The Lobos will be back on the road on Friday to play at San Simon, then host one game during next week’s Fall break – on Tuesday against Lourdes. After break comes the home stretch, with seven games over 17 days.
The good news is that four of those seven will be at home — weather permitting, of course.