Craig Daily Press / MCHS volleyball team preparing for different opponents in 2012

Archive for Thursday, August 9, 2012

Photo by Nate Waggenspack. Enlarge photo.

The Moffat County High School girls volleyball team participated in two camps and led another for middle school girls this summer. The Bulldogs' first practice will be Monday, and the season begins with a tournament Aug. 31 in Glenwood Springs.

By Nate Waggenspack

August 9, 2012

Aug. 31-Sept. 1 — Tournament at Glenwood Springs High School, 3 games guaranteed

Sept. 6 — Rifle High School — 6 p.m./MCHS

Sept. 7 and 8 — Tournament at MCHS, four games guaranteed

Sept. 13 — Coal Ridge High School — 6 p.m./MCHS

Sept. 15 — Basalt High School — 1 p.m./Basalt

Sept. 22 — Grand Valley High School — 3 p.m./Parachute

Sept. 27 — Coal Ridge High School — 6 p.m./MCHS

Sept. 29 — Roaring Fork High School — 1 p.m./Carbondale

Oct. 2 — Grand Valley High School — 6 p.m./MCHS

Oct. 9 — Cedaredge High School — 5 p.m./Cedaredge

Oct. 11 — Aspen High School — 6 p.m./MCHS

Oct. 16 — Rifle High School — 6 p.m./Rifle

Oct. 20 — Olathe High School — 1 p.m./MCHS

Oct. 20 — Gunnison High School — 4 p.m./MCHS

Changing classifications means the Moffat County High School volleyball team will have a new set of opponents in the 2012 season.

The Bulldogs moved from Class 4A to 3A in the offseason, and will play in a new league as a result.

The only common opponents remaining from 2011 are teams the Bulldogs could play in early-season tournaments Aug. 31 in Glenwood Springs and Sept. 7 at MCHS.

In non-tournament games, every team MCHS plays will be new compared to last season.

After going 5-13 in 2011, the Bulldogs will look to wreak havoc in their new league.

Head coach Sandy Camilletti is glad MCHS is playing in tournaments early, where the team will get to play former rivals.

“I’m excited about the Moffat County tournament because Steamboat Springs (High School) is supposed to be there,” Camilletti said. “They’ve been our rival since I was a kid. It’s just a fun game.”

MCHS opponents for 2012 (excluding teams they will play in early-season tournaments) amassed a 95-97 combined record.

Gunnison High School (19-6), Olathe High School (18-4) and Roaring Fork High School (17-8) all had strong years.

The Bulldogs will be dealing with a change to the postseason schedule as well.

In past years, 4A girls volleyball teams participated in district and regional tournaments to qualify for state. In 2012, Class 3A-5A in Colorado will have only regional tournaments with a new format.

In 3A volleyball, three teams from 12 regions will play a round-robin tournament against each other. The winners of each region will advance to the state tournament.

Jeff Simon, Moffat County School District athletic director, said he thinks this will be a welcome change.

“It will make a big difference,” Simon said. “I think it’s going to do a lot of good for our volleyball and basketball teams.”

Camilletti said she will be interested to see what the Bulldogs’ new opponents are like.

“It won’t be easy, I don’t think,” she said. “I think we will be competing with some talented teams. A lot of the teams in our 4A league had established club teams, where none of the girls played basketball in the winter. They did club volleyball.

“If that’s the case with these smaller teams, it will be tough. I don’t know if they have those club teams feeding into the high school or are more like us, with everybody sort of doing everything.”