Yuma High School’s volleyball team is about to get busy.
The former Indians have had a somewhat chill schedule to date, playing only eight matches. However, the match load gets much heavier now. Yuma is at Caliche for a Lower Platte match on Friday, then will play three matches Saturday at the Akron Tournament, followed by a home league match Tuesday against Haxtun. The busy schedule continues after that until the end of the regular season late next month.
“It’s not going to be an easy road,” coach Jamie Robinson said. “Again it’s going to be a battle of .500 teams and who can put wins together in the end.”
Yuma is 4-4 overall, 1-0 in the Lower Platte, after last Thursday’s sweep of Akron in the Aux Pit.
Caliche will be a challenge on Friday, and then comes pool play Saturday in Akron against Class 1A No. 3 Otis and another solid 1A team in Stratton. Plus, Haxtun comes to town on Tuesday, entering this week 8-5 and No. 12 in 1A.
“We need to start creating our own destiny instead of others creating it for us,” Robinson said.
Yuma opened Lower Platte play last Thursday at home against Akron. The young Rams team has only one senior, and Yuma took full advantage with a 25-8, 25-14, 25-18 win.
Yuma never really was threatened in the sweep, though it did trail early in the third set.
“We needed (a win) that’s for sure,” Robinson said. “It gave us a chance to get everyone in. A win’s a win. We need more of those.”
Yuma’s balanced net attack recorded 42 kills. Caddis Robinson had 10, Lauren Gonzales eight, Bailey Nighswonger seven, Alina Moran seven, Emma Rayl four, Jailyn Mekelburg three, Izzie Young two and Cheyenne McCreath one. Rayl had 21 setting assists, Nighswonger seven, Robinson six, Gonzales four, and Ashley Ibanez one.
Mekelburg was 16-16 serving with two aces, Rayl 11-11, Moran 10-10 with two aces, Nighswonger 10-12 with two aces, Robinson 8-8, Chloe Smith 6-7, Ibanez 3-3, Gonzales 3-4, and Young 2-2.
Yuma will need to pick up some key wins in coming weeks to improve its chances for the postseason. Yuma entered this week No. 24 in 2A in the MaxPreps Rankings. A combination of MaxPreps and the CHSAA Rating Percentage Index will determine the 32 teams that advance to regional.
