The Littlefield Lady Cats’ varsity volleyball team is off and running in their second year under Head Coach Kaylee Longoria.
This year, the Lady Cats are off to a 5-3 start heading into the Denver City Tournament.
“Two-a-days was awesome for us, I had a lot of girls that needed jobs,” Coach Longoria said. “Because it was two weeks before school started I had to go around a lot of different schedules, but all of the girls fully committed, have bought in and were ready to work. Work outs looked a little different this year, we have spent and focused more time in the weight room.”
She added, “We kind of have a whole new team, we have a lot of returners, but a lot of kids are playing a lot of different positions. The girls have adapted well and are buying in to everything we ask them do. We’ve put several girls in several different positions to try and find the perfect puzzle piece. We’re still trying to navigate and see what is going to work best for this group, but they buy in, they’re here, and they’ve been great leaders for our JV girls.”
Coach Longoria has several new coaches assisting her this year in Coach Ally Oyanguren, Coach Suzanne Perry, Coach Jayden Longoria, Coach Genasis Garza and Coach Fletcher.
“Coach O is going to be our JV2. She just graduated from LCU, but she really bought in to what we are going to do and she brings a lot of energy that we definitely need,” the coach said. “Coach Perry will be our JV1 coach. She’s been here before, so she knows how it works and what is expected. She has been helping me out with organizing practices and fitting in puzzle pieces as well.”
She added, “ We also have Coach Jayden Longoria, who is contract coaching for us. He won’t get to always go with us, but he challenges the girls because he can hit really well and block. He also brings an energy we need, especially for those 6 a.m. practices, that are sometimes hard to get up for. Our junior high coaches have been phenomenal, and have been able to help me so much, because we had so much more time this year. Coach Genasis Garza will be my A-team coache. and Coach Fletcher will be my B-team coach.”
Last year, the Coach Longoria led the Lady Cats to a 17-13 record where they made it to the first round of the play-offs before being ousted by the eventual 3A State Champion Bushland Lady Falcons.
“The girls came out for two-adays ready and mentally prepared,” She said. “Last year was my first year here, so they didn’t know what to expect, this year they knew how hard the work outs would be, they knew what was expected of them and they push each other in practice and drills. Especially my returning seniors on varsity, they have a want, and that just brings everyone with them from the freshmen on up.”
The senior group is led by Cali Saldana, Bri Valdez, Myli Hernandez, Alyssa Torres and Madi Brown who are all returning varsity players.
“Cali has already excelled this year. She just decided she was going to do everything and she is. She is my all around girl, she plays all the way around, she is super athletic and it shows. She is also one of my speaking captains,” she explained. “Bri is a setter for us. She is one of our leaders, she is one of our quieter girls, but she definitely leads by example. Alyssa ‘Woogie’, plays back row as one of our defensive specialists. She picks up everything and we love that because sometimes our blocking is not there.” S h e added, “Madi Brown is our Libero and another defensive specialist for us. She can pick up anything and everything, she leads the back row and is very vocal. Myli is our middle; eventually I would like to get where she can play all the way around, but she hurt her knee last year. She played a little bit of basketball towards the end of last season and did some track, I want to make sure she is 100% before I have her play all the way around. She is my toughest hitter, toughest blocker and she is also one of our speaking captains.”
The junior group is led by returning setter Bryndle Ray.
“She is a great kid, who will do exactly what you say. She is another one who I think could eventually play all the way around, but we probably won’t do that since we have numbers. Lyric Rios is one of our hitters; we thought she was going to be a middle, but then we moved her outside and I think we found her spot. She does really well out there. She had surgery in the middle of the summer, but still gave her all, even though she was a little behind during two-a-days.”
She added, “Tailyn Gomez is another junior, who did phenomenal last year on our JV1 team. She is one that I watched all year last year. She does everything you ask her to do and she is going to go after every ball and do whatever she can to keep that ball up.”
The Lady Cats have one returning sophomore in Maggie McNeese and another who is new to the varsity in Cobi Saldana.
“Maggie is going to be one of our middles this year, which going from playing back to middle is a big job, you become a blocker and that wasn’t her main focus last year. Her hitting has gotten better, she is jumping higher, she got taller, we love her arms, and she is a great kid.”
She added, “Cobi is just athletic. She is new to the team; she is playing front row right now, but I see big things for her in the future playing all the way around and being one of my go-to players.”
Madi Williams is the lone freshman on the team.
“Madi is athletic and just does what she needs to do. I had a good relationship with her last year in junior high, so getting to see her excel and earn her spot on varsity has been fun to watch.”
New to the varsity this year are seniors, Monica Elizondo, Teagan Miller and Gabby Medina She added, “Monica Elizondo is new to the team coming up from the JV, but she is a good leader for us. She is going to do exactly what you tell her to and is probably my most coachable kid on the team. Teagan is also new to the varsity, coming from the JV2 team. We had a conversation before the season began and she has really stepped it up. She makes sure she is the first one at practice and last to leave. She comes in to get extra work in and is probably one of our most consistent servers. Gabby Medina is new to the team, but she will do anything you ask her to do. If you need her to play front row she’s going to do it, if you need her to play back row she is going to do it.”
Coach Longoria talked about who she has seen step up as leaders this year, saying, “Cali is not going to be the one to get on to the girls, but she is definitely one to lead by example. I thought she did amazing last year, but this year she came into two-a-days with the mindset ‘this is my team’. For my back row, Alyssa Torres has been a great leader for us. My Libero is expected to be great, but last year Alyssa started out on JV but I moved her up early-on because she needed to be with us. She has proved herself again and again in workouts, games, just everything. She is not real vocal or loud, but she is going to pick up everything she can. Our defense has looked so much better because even when we don’t have our libero back there, we have her and we’ve always got someone there.”
The coach talked about what she feels their strengths are going into the season, saying, “This team is pretty close knit, I think we’re going to have a great relationship. Also, our defense has been great to where if our blockers aren’t there, our defense is there, our back row is there to pick it up and my setter is there to pick it up.”
She added, “I think some of the struggles we’re going to face are that we aren’t very big, and we’re never going to be very big. I think that our defense will help out the fact that we’re not very big.”
Coach Longoria talked about their pre-district schedule, saying, “I tried to get some tougher teams, the Brownfields, the Denver City’s, some good, big 3A schools, because that is who we’re going to see if we get to where we are supposed to be. I wanted to make sure our pre-district schedule was tougher so that way when we did get to games where we went to five sets, we were mentally, physically and emotionally ready for those game.
She added, “Almost every district game last year except for Shallowater and Tulia, we went to five sets. Those are three hour games, so I wanted out pre-district schedule to be tough and challenge these girls. District is always tough, Tulia and Childress both have new coaches, so we will see some new things from them. Idalou and Shallowater have the same coach and similar girls to what they had last year. We know what to expect, they’re going to be good and ready to put it on us, so we have to go into those games ready by watching film and making sure we’re prepared.”
The Lady Cats will begin District play on Sept. 28th on the road against Idalou. The rest of their district schedule is as follows: The Lady Cats will be at home against Shallowater on Oct. 1st; at Tulia on Oct. 5th; at home against Childress on Oct. 12th; home against Idalou on Oct. 15th; at Shallowater on Oct. 19th; home against Tulia on Oct. 22nd and they close out the regular season at Childress on Oct. 29th.
Tuesday games will begin at 6 p.m. and Saturday games will begin at 12 noon.