Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Boulder City High senior Paxton Fleming keeps her eyes on the ball during preseason drills for the Eagles volleyball team.
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009 | 3:06 p.m.
The Boulder City High volleyball team will have more players on its roster this fall than most years and coach Cherise Roe knows that depth will be a key in the Eagles having a successful season.
The final roster will include 12 girls, four more than last year’s campaign when Boulder City took fourth in the 3A Southern League.
“Having more bodies will help us the most in practice,” said Roe, who has been Boulder City’s coach since 1999. “We will be able to have a practice squad to push our starting six. We will actually have kids vying for positions.”
The Eagles return five, including three starters, from last year and have two freshman — setter Avalon Frantz and middle blocker Mallory Bird — who will contribute.
“We have a pretty cohesive group,” Roe said. “They talk well on the floor with each other and pick each other up.”
Leading the way for the Eagles is senior setter Paxton Fleming, senior outside hitter Lexi Jorgensen and senior libero Kelsey Ripplinger. The girls have played together for most of the last three seasons.
Fleming said the familiarity with her teammates — she knows Ripplinger is solid defensively in the back and Jorgensen is an offensive weapon — could give them an advantage.
“We’ve been playing together for so long,” Fleming said. “Hopefully we can put it together in our last year.”
Fleming, who Roe described as her quarterback on the floor, will be passing to three primary hitters — Jorgensen, senior Alexis Cota and junior Emily Boyster.
“I’m pretty up beat. We have some real talented kids out there,” Roe said.
Two of the three teams in the 3A Southern League will reach for the four-team state tournament this fall. It’s an event Roe feels her team can qualify for.
“With the way the league is set up (only four league games), I don’t think a goal of winning the league would be very satisfying,” Roe said. “Getting to state would be the higher goal, something better to achieve.”
After only graduating two seniors from last year’s squad, the key returners believe having a successful season is an obtainable goal.
“Last year was a rebuilding year for us. We were all looking forward to this season,” Jorgensen said.
Boulder City opens at 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Legacy High in North Las Vegas.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected].
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