Yuma High School’s volleyball team seems to be figuring it out just in time for the stretch run of the regular season.
The Outlaws were 6-10 overall and had moved up to No. 29 in the CHSAA 2A Selection & Seeding Index after an impressive home win over then-No. 10 Burlington last Thursday. They hosted a strong 1A team from Haxtun this past Tuesday, and host 2A No. 7 Wiggins on Friday, host Byers on Saturday and close out a five-match homestand Tuesday against 2A No. 11 Sedgwick County. The Haxtun, Wiggins and Byers matches all come during Homecoming Week. The Byers match also is Parents Night, so to speak.
“All games against teams that are ranked above us,” coach Jamie Nighswonger said. “We just need to keep working hard in practice and playing together as a team.”
The Outlaws had won four of six heading into this past Tuesday’s match with Haxtun. They welcomed Burlington to town last Thursday and played like they were the No. 10 team in a dominating 25-16, 25-17, 25-15 win over the Cougars. It was never really close as the Outlaws dominated from start to finish. (Burlington now is No. 15 in the Index.)
A strong net attack was led by Lindsey Hermosillo and Berkley Nighswonger with nine kills each, Lauren Gonzales had three, Bailey Nighswonger three, Novalee Schuetz two and Taryn Sheffield two. Bailey Nighswonger had 15 setting assists, Aubrey Black nine and Berkley Nighswonger two. Yuma served 94.5 percent. Black was 18-18 with one ace, Sheffield 15-16 with three aces, Bailey Nighswonger 13-14 with one ace, Berkley Nighswonger 11-11 with three aces, Gonzales 6-8, and Hermosillo 5-5.
“I think the girls are just starting to realize that to be successful, we have to play together as a team,” Nighswonger said. “It can’t just be the responsibility of one player to get the job done each night – it has to be everyone, from the girls on the court to the girls cheering from the bench.”
The Outlaws played at 1A No. 1 Merino earlier last week, losing 19-25, 11-15, 20-25. Bailey Nighswonger was 11-12 serving with two aces, Sheffield 11-11 with two aces, Black 10-10 with one ace, Gonzales 6-7, Hermosillo 6-6, Berkley Nighswonger 4-4, and Bryar Chrismen 2-2. Gonzales had six kills, Hermosillo five, Bailey Nighswonger four, Sheffield two, Berkley Nighswonger two, and Black one. Black had nine assists, Bailey Nighswonger six, and Schuetz two.