Joe Yanni Field just got a lot quieter. For the past several weeks, the volleyball girls met at the track on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The rest of the week, they worked out at home.
In mid-March, a virus one thousand times smaller than a speck of dust wreaked havoc in their young lives. Now the girls jump into a year like none they’ve experienced in their lifetimes.
Last Thursday, Aug. 13, was their final workout of the summer.
They start school on Monday. Across the field, Dara Moura squeezed in one last practice before heading to the College of Idaho to study biomedical science and play softball. Moura, the Lady Mustangs captain and libero, graduated in a virtual ceremony this past spring.
So did Alyssa Montes, Makenna Houston and Kaelyn Castro. They’re all launching college careers amid the turbulence of the pandemic.
The NIAA has tentatively scheduled Nevada’s high school sports season from January through May 2021. Volleyball competes from Mar. 5 until April 10, after a couple of weeks of practice.
A lot can happen between now and then. However, Coach Monica Halverson’s girls sound confident and determined.
“I hope to be a good role model for the younger girls,” said Cheyeanne Diaz, a graduating senior and returning player.
The freshmen who participated in the summer workout include Anna Happy, Taylor Garland and Morgan Swindlehurst. Sophomores Kaydance Happy, Kaylen Halverson and Andrea Canchola joined them. Presley Burrows, a junior, and Aimee Carpenter, a senior, also participated.
Diaz plays middle blocker and left outside. “I don’t know. They just put me wherever,” she says. On a small team, versatility counts.
“I hope to achieve my personal goals in sports and school,” Diaz added. To her, that means “being the best I can be and being a good team member.”
In August 2019, PCSD counselor Nancy Meissner came out of a ten-year retirement from coaching to help Halverson and coach JV. This summer, Kindergarten teacher Leah Holland joins them.
Halverson, a Life Skills teacher, hopes to offer after-school workouts “to keep the girls busy and in shape.” They won’t be starting open gyms until after the new year.
“I hope that through all this chaos and adversity, we work harder on the things we can control,” said Halverson. “When we get into the gym to practice with the volleyballs we’ll appreciate it more because we had it taken away.”
