Girls volleyball, one of the most popular sports at Falcon High School, is ending their season, leaving fans and teammates with high hopes for next year. The varsity team, coached by Clay Pinyerd, has had a record of two wins and five losses in the Colorado Springs metro league and an over-all record of six wins and 12 losses.A loss to Widefield High School Oct. 19 ended their season.For this volleyball team, their record doesn’t define their capabilities. There is much more to a team then just wins and losses. “The record doesn’t prove anything in my eyes. Sure you’ll get those people who look at it and say we failed this season, but we had a lot to overcome,” said Cassi Lane, senior and outside hitter. “We play as a team now and as long as we are having fun, then I’m not disappointed.”The girls do not have a shot at state, which is a disappointment to the team and fans; but at the end of the day the hard work and effort the team has put forth helped them learn a lot. “We all learned that we have to pull together as a team in order to win, one person can’t win a game,” said Jennifer Orth, senior and middle on varsity.After losing many good seniors last year, all of the players this season have had to modify their positions and try to fill voids. This alteration has proved to be an obstacle for the girls.”The most difficult part of the season would probably be the fact that we had to have players step up, adjust, and be willing to play positions they had never done,” Lane said. “It took us a while to get into a good rhythm.” Luckily, there haven’t been any serious injuries this season, only a few jammed fingers and small scrapes. All of the hard work put in by the seniors has definitely payed off. Captain Caroline Ratterree has been approached by volleyball coaches from North Dakota State University, a Division I school. Many seniors are considering playing during college but their decisions are still “up in the air.”The closing of the season brings new goals for next year and hopes for continued success.”I think the team has a lot going for them next season,” Ratterree said. “Jillian Wilkins and Melissa Ninemire have done a great job setting for varsity, and Jenelle Kienest and Anneliese Rotering are awesome defensive players. The way Caitlyn Stell is playing middle as a sophomore is awesome, so she’ll be a prime hitter next year.”Next year should be a productive one and this year definitely was, too. The girls practiced and played their best, this season was just a transitional phase of an up-and-rising volleyball team.
