MONAHANS TRIES TO AVENGE ONLY LOSS VS. CORONADO      By Chris Gove, Staff Writer, Odessa American, 9-20-05

Fresh off a run to the Class 3A state championship last season, the Monahans High School volleyball team has followed it up with a nice 28-1 start in 2005.

That "1" still gives the Lady Loboes a bad taste, although they'll get a chance to do something about it.

Monahans' lone loss of the season came against the team it is playing host to at 5 p.m. today in the Jerry Larned Athletic Complex -- Lubbock Coronado.

Not that losing to Coronado is a bad thing.  After all, the Mustangs (24-5) have five starters and two other varsity players back from a team that reached the 5A state final last season.

"We're ready for this and pumped up to play," Monahans head coach Patty Dominguez said.  "We want to beat Coronado and we want to have a better showing against them.  We kind of fizzled out at the end and didn't compete against them the last time."

"If you play and compete like you're supposed to and you lose, fine.  I can't stand to lose when you know you didn't compete."

Coronado beat Monahans in two straight games in the semifinals at the Nita Vannoy Memorial Invitational in San Angelo.  Coronado went on to take the title, and Monahans finished third.

After the match against Coronado, Monahans will face Odessa High (18-6) at about 6:30 p.m. in another match.

However, OHS will not face Coronado because OHS would then exceed its allowable matches by UIL rules.

Dominguez is looking forward to both 5A tests, particularly getting to play a squad with so much state tournament experience like Coronado.

"They will test us and will make us adjust," Dominguez said.  "We won't see the speed of their offense until much later in the year."   

Keyed by Logan Summers