Lady Rattlers to use ample depth for rebuild

The Tucumcari High School volleyball team may be in a rebuilding mode with its offense, but it has a lot of bricks from which to choose in that rebuild.

About 35 girls were competing for a varsity spot during the first official practices last week. Not only can Tucumcari amply fill a varsity and junior-varsity roster, but it also can field a full "C" team.

"We have a lot of depth, which is great," head coach Dana Benavidez said during an interview last week. "You can fill rosters for positions you need, and that's really good. We're not struggling to fill positions, and we have a lot of kids competing for them."

The Lady Rattlers will begin their season at the Logan Invitational tournament on Aug. 25 and 27. Their first home match is during the Tucumcari Invitational on Sept. 2-3. A match at Fort Sumner was rescheduled from Aug. 18 to Aug. 30.

Tucumcari lost strong hitters Amber Owen and Madison Dysart to graduation. They helped the Lady Rattlers to a 9-12 record, their first district title in more than 40 years and their second postseason berth in three years.

"Losing both of our outside hitters makes it really hard," Benavidez said. "We're trying to build on that. But our defense is phenomenal. We have to work on creating a great offense. Our setters have to get to know our hitters during preseason.

"We're focusing on having a good first touch (of the ball) and running our offense. If we do that, we'll be good to go."

But it's not as if the cupboard is bare. Returning is libero and co-captain Alexus Lafferty, a senior who has started on the varsity since her freshman year. She is an outstanding defensive player and a strong server.

"Her leadership and her want to be the best she can be is amazing," Benavidez said. "She wants the ball to come to her and she wants to make the pass. She doesn't shy away from something that's hard."

Also returning is sophomore setter Caylee Benavidez, who was second-team all-state in that position last season.

"Her speed and agility help a lot," her mother and coach said.

Benavidez said her team will be buoyed by a "great" junior class of seven players.

"They're a big group of girls who've been through the program and are showing a lot of potential," she said. "They know what I expect of them and show up every day for practice."

She also said other underclassmen are advancing nicely to fill other roles on the team.

As for the Lady Rattlers' hitting attack, Benavidez mentioned these players:

n Haisley Huffman, a junior. "She isn't very tall, but she's a state-champion long jumper. She can jump out of the gym."

n Camby Benavidez, a freshman. The coach said her daughter's 5-foot-7 height is belied by long arms and a great vertical leap.

n Kirksey Smith, a transfer from San Jon last year, is "coming along in the middle."

One encouraging sign for the Lady Rattlers is their performance during the offseason. Not only did they scrimmage with Santa Rosa, but they also competed at a team camp at Adams State University in Colorado, where the returning varsity team finished fourth of 30 squads and was unbeaten in pool play.

"I believe summer workouts are key to setting the tone for the regular season," Benavidez said.

Another encouraging sign was during a regular-season match last season against Pecos, where 13 Lady Rattlers notched kills and dazed the Lady Panthers. It's highly unusual for any team to show that much effectiveness among that many players in its attack game.

"That's one thing I can say about the school's program: These girls buy in," she said. "All week, we had two-a-day practices, and they showed up. I have them working hard, and they keep showing up. They want to be here. That is indicative of how well are into it."

San Jon

The Lady Coyotes have a new coach in Bart Cadenhead, who replaced Jaree Elliott after she left the school district for Melrose.

San Jon won't have any leeway for illness or injury this season. Cadenhead said just five high-school students are practicing, and he'll need to tap into a group of eighth-graders to fill out the varsity roster.

"It's going to be pretty tight," he said.

San Jon finished with a respectable 11-10 record last season but lost two of Elliott's daughters from that roster due to her departure.

San Jon's first regular-season match is at home Saturday against Roy-Mosquero.

Cadenhead, who previously coached girls sports at Amarillo high schools, said he's got a "fairly decent" group of players.

"There's going to be a lot more positive reinforcement," he said. "The girls communicate really well to each other."

He said he's well aware San Jon is in a tough district for volleyball, and a lack of size on his team isn't going to help matters.

"We need a 6-1 or 6-2 girl," he said. "We're lacking height."

Logan

The Lady Longhorns are rebuilding after losing four key seniors from a squad that advanced to the Class 1A semifinals and the retirement of longtime coach Robert Young.

Glynna Strand, previously an assistant to Young, takes over the reins of the Logan club, which carried virtually no juniors last season. The Lady Longhorns will rely heavily on a slew of sophomores and juniors to share the load for the team.

Athletic director Billy Burns at a recent school board meeting reported that 30 girls are participating in the varsity volleyball program. So depth shouldn't be much of an issue.

The Lady Longhorns season-opener will be during the Logan Invitational on Aug. 25 and 27.

Strand could not be reached for comment.