New Faces Help Monahans Reach a Familiar Place
   By Chris Gove, Sports Writer ~~ Odessa American, November 10, 2006

MONAHANS  Experience has been a big key to success for Monahans High School’s volleyball team.

Having four players — seniors Dina Ortiz, Catherine Cutbirth, Bethany Willmon and junior Bailey Marcum — who have started in the Class 3A state championship match each of the last two seasons is a luxury most programs simply don’t have.

But it also has been vital for newcomers to make an impact to help the Lady Loboes earn a spot at the Region I-3A Tournament for the fifth straight season — with a fifth straight trip to the state tournament now just two victories away.

“I think a lot of people have really stepped up and we’re doing good,” junior outside hitter Jordan Latham said.  “This summer we worked really hard to get better.  We all went to lots of camps as a team and worked as a team to get better.”

Monahans (40-3) plays in the first Region I-3A semifinal at 4 p.m. today against Gainesville (26-11) at Lubbock Christian University’s Rip Griffin Center.

The second semifinal, scheduled for 6 p.m., pits Pecos (27-9) against Canyon (28-9), with the winners meeting at noon Saturday for the regional title and a trip to the state tournament in San Marcos.

Latham, junior hitter Heather Schulz, senior defensive specialist Paige Shaw and senior hitter Kimberly Wilson all have been among the players having to step in and play important roles for the Lady Loboes.

Perhaps the most pressure to perform in such a position is junior Kaitlin Mitchell, the team’s setter.

She had to assume the team’s reins this season after the graduation of Candace Swarb, who was the starting setter each of the last two years.

Mitchell and many of the team’s “newcomers” actually got to watch from the Lady Loboes bench much of the last two seasons in the playoffs, but nothing beats the real thing.

“I’ve watched Candace the past two years and I learned from her,” Mitchell said.  “It’s going to be exciting for me to be out there this time, actually to be playing in the game.

“There’s the nerves every match and they come up a lot, but once we get going you just feel it and it gets good.”

Monahans was good enough to sweep Andrews in the area round and then fight past a strong Lubbock Cooper team — and its rowdy crowd — in three games Tuesday in the regional quarterfinals.

And though there is certain to be plenty of anticipation of Monahans playing in the regional final against either district rival Pecos or regional rival Canyon, there is a task at hand this afternoon.

“The biggest thing is not getting ahead of yourself and taking one game at a time — and that’s the opponent in front of you,” Monahans head coach Patty Dominguez said.  “Everybody across from you, they’ve had to do something to get to this level, so we have to respect that.  We’ve got to make sure we’re ready to play.”

Again, Dominguez is glad to have the leadership that is oozed from her playoff-savvy Lady Loboes.

“The experience we have on the court is going to come through at this level,” Dominguez said.  “The calmness we have, the character we have, that’s going to come through.  They know how to play in this kind of environment and they’re excited about it.”