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With Very High Hopes  
     by Dave Poynor, Sports Editor - Monahans News - July 31, 2003

A lot of things will be different this year on the local volleyball scene.  For one, now that Kristien Hall has graduated, Coach Parry Hall Dominguez can use her married name without too much confusion.  Secondly, the Texas high school coaches have followed the lead of the colleges and installed rally point scoring to begin this season.

One thing that will not change is the train of thought for the Lady Loboes.  The MHS girls have progressed each year to a new rung in the UIL playoff ladder, capped off by last year's state tournament appearance.  This season, Coach Dominguez and her staff believe the ultimate goal is in their reach.

Granted, the loss of team quarterback Kristien and defensive stars Karla Armendariz and Amanda Knife leave gapping holes, but front line strength, brains and exciting newcomers may be the keys to more playoff success for the ladies.

The rally scoring put into effect this year has been somewhat controversial and the subject of debate as to how it will affect the Loboes, However Coach Dominguez is not concerned.

"I am excited about it," she said.  "It is fan friendly, with a point scored on every play.  Those who say, 'What about those defensive stands we made?' need to understand those would all be points in the rally scoring system."

Varsity games will all be three-out-of-five series, with each game going to 25.  A team must still win by two points, with a 30 score cap (if the score is 29-29, the next point wins the game).  Sub-varsity game series will be decided by coaches at game time, and the district 4-3A coaches will decide the JV and ninth series games at the district meeting.

Defense and blocking will be extra important in the new scoring format, and Dominguez has plenty of both.  Senior middle hitter Laura Crumrine returns, along with All-Everything sophomore Brittany Hughes.  The outstanding freshman spiker from last season sat out the spring sport schedule to rehab a stress fracture, and Dominguez declared her fit and ready.

Joining those two on the net will be Kiley Blalock, Lyndi Cypher, and Rachel Miller, giving the Loboes depth and talent in the hitting position.

Whitney Mitchell is back for her senior year as setter.  She will be asked to do more to fill in for the three who graduated, and Dominguez expects help from JV players Candace Swarb, Trisha Clements, Jorden Melius, Emily Speed, and Amy Williamson.

"The key early in the season will be our timing situation," said the coach.  "We ran a fast offense last year, and the girls will have to get used to the timing of the fast paced play."

The coach said her overall coaching staff was probably her best, both in numbers and in volleyball experience.  Becky Hix and Becky Melius will take the JV and freshman teams, respectively, and the junior high staff will consist of Stella Wilkinson, Sharon Lister and Sara Carrell, with help from Josie McAnally, Kathy Setzler, and Melius.

Overall team goals remain the same as last year, according to Dominguez - undefeated district champs, undefeated at home, regional tournament champs, state tournament title, but team is the key word.

"These things can happen, if our girls put the team first," she said.  "If they focus on Monahans winning, everything else will take care of itself.  Our setters need to step up and we must stay healthy."

The Ladies begin two-a-days Monday morning in preparation for their first scrimmage with Greenwood and Crane at Greenwood Aug. 15.  Their first game is the traditionally tough match-up with Lamesa and Permian at Lamesa Aug. 19.  District play begins Sept 23.

Tourney Time
    MHS girls 2-0, looking to take second Sandhills title this weekend
        --By Dave Poynor, Sports Editor  -- Monahans News --- August 21, 2003  

Monahans volleyball began a new chapter with season opening wins over Lamesa and Odessa Permian Tuesday night.

It was the first night of the new rally scoring system adopted by the UIL for 2003, and for the Lady Loboes it was the first time to see any serious competition.  

After some surprisingly easy scrimmages last weekend, MHS started out a little shaky against perennial playoff foe Lamesa on their home court. Monahans dropped the first match, 21-25, against the Golden Tors.

"It is always difficult to begin a new season with memories of the old one." said Coach Patty Hall.  "I think we over analyzed instead of just playing the game."  

The Loboes missed four serves (meaning four points), the difference in the contest.  Hall said her team never really got in the flow of the offense.

MHS bounced back and won the next three games, 25-20, 20-18, and 25-20 to take the match.

"We regrouped and played well," the coach said.  "We still missed too many serves, which we can't afford to do, since those are points now."

Laura Crumrine had 18 kills and sophomore Brittany Hughes had 13 with six blocks in the match.  Lyndi Cypher added four blocks, and senior Whitney Mitchell had six assists and an ace.

The Ladies finished the night against the Permian Panthers, winning three straight to sweep the match in 40 minutes.  Hughes killed four and had two blocks.  Sophomore newcomer Candace Swarb had three kills, five assists, and an ace and Mitchell added seven more assists.  Crumrine ended the night with a total of 27 kills and 13 blocks.

Dominguez' team will enter the weekend on a mission to be the second team on record to win the Sandhills Tournament.  The 2001 team beat Lubbock Trinity Christian for the title, the first known MHS winners of the event.

Trinity got revenge in 2002, knocking off the Loboes in the semifinals en route to the championship trophy.  The Lubbock School will once again be one of the favorites, along with Monahans, Midland High, Plainview, and Frenship.

Pool play begins Friday , with bracket/elimination play all day Saturday.  The Loboes drew Van Horn and Frenship in their Division 1 pool.  Frenship is lead by first year coach Jennifer (Jasso) McCully, a Monahans graduate.

The Ladies' first game will be with Van Horn at 3 p.m., followed by the Frenship game at 4. Should they win those two they would play the Division IV first place team at 6:00. All of those games would be at the Jerry Larned Sports Complex.

Volleyball boosters remind everyone in addition to their normal gear they will be selling Krispy Kreme throughout the tournament, starting at noon Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Monahans def. Lamesa
21-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-20

Kills: Brittany Hughes 13, Lyndi Cypher 2, Candace Swarb 2, Rachel Miller 5, Laura Crumrine 18, Kylie Blalock 2.
Blocks: Hughes 6, Cypher 4, Miller 2, Crumrine 5, Blalock 5.
Assists: Whitney Mitchell 6, Hughes 2, Swarb 14, Miller1, Crumrine 1.
Digs: Amy Williamson 1, Hughes 1, Cypher 4, Swarb 2, Trisha Clements 4.

Monahans def. Permian
25-17, 25-7, 25-8

Kills: Hughes 4, Cypher 2, Swarb 3, Miller 3, Crumrine 9, Blalock 5.
Blocks: Hughes 2, Swarb 1, Miller 1, Crumrine 8, Blalock 8.
Assists: Mitchell 7, Hughes 2, Swarb 5, Cypher 2, Miller 1, Crumrine 1, Blalock 1, Emily Speed 1.
Digs: Mitchell 1, Hughes 1, Clements 1.
Aces: Mitchell 3, Hughes 3, Cypher 4, Swarb 1, Clements 2, Speed 1.

AUSPICIOUS BEGINNINGS
    Ladies win rare home Sandhills Tournament title
            -- by Dave Poynor, Sports Editor -- Monahans News -- 8-28-03

Just how good is the Lady Volleyball team right now? Very. The MHS girls showed flashes of brilliance en route to the second Sandhills Tournament title in recorded school history.

The scary thing for 3A coaches across the state is this Lobo team will get a lot better,   according Coach Patty Dominguez.

"There is a lot of room for improvement," she said. "When our setters get more comfortable with the offense, we will be a much better team."

The ladies cruised through pool play Friday and opened bracket competition with Seminole Saturday morning. After adjusting to the Maidens left handed outside hitter, the Loboes finished the off, 25-15, 25-27.

Facing greenwood in the next round, Dominguez passed on what would  normally be a time-out situation to test her team.

"Greenwood went on a run," she said. "I usually would call a time-out to stop the momentum, but I wanted the girls to work it out themselves."

They finally did, winning 25-23, and advanced to the championship round with a 25-9, second game blowout.

The title match would be the toughest test to date for Monahans. Midland high is favored to win 4-5A this season, and they came out attacking against the loboes. Lady Dawg sophomore hitter Abby Meyers had several kills, but the local girls held off Midland to take a two point win.

Game two found the lobo team in trouble early with service receiving problems. The Dawgs took advantage of four such miscues and want on to win by that margin, 25-21.

In the late Saturday night finale, the Monahans front line was awesome. Rachel Miller teamed up with Laura Crumrine and Brittany Hughes for block after block, frustrating the Midland team.

"Rachel had a phenomenal game," Said Dominguez. She is really coming on."

Hughes had her normal performance, which means better than anyone else in the tourney. kiley Blalock hit well and the lobo defense was strong, feeding off the blocks.

Although Coach Dominguez said the team still misses the perfect touch and sets of her daughter Kristen Hall from last year, her replacements were bringing other atributes to the team.

"Sure we miss Kristien's setting," she said. "she was so good at the short set, and we just have not got our timing down with the other girls yet. They will get there, though. We had two great saves by Candace(Swarb) and Whitney (Mitchell) where they drove to keep the ball alive. They have that great quickness that we did not have before."

Lyndi Cypher also had one of her better games, and is jumping as well as anyone on the team to this point.

It was another check on the list for the Loboes, who work on a two week plan. Dominguez and her girls reevaluate every fourteen days and set goals for the next two weeks. It is her disciplined way of  keeping the team on pace to peak at the right time, hopefully at the state tournament.

Next on the check list is winning the San Angelo Tournament this weekend, beginning Friday. It will be a tall order for the Ladies. There are plenty of quality big school opponents including Lubock Coronado, Kerrville, Lakeview, San Angelo Central, and El Paso Montwood.

"We Need to play up," Dominguez said. "That is why we started going to this tournament. Two years ago we finished 26th or 27th. Last year we were like eighth."

First up for the the team is Bronte, down somewhat this year from their usual talent level. The second round opponent will be Coronado at 1 p.m., given the win over Bronte. If Monahans gets by Coranodo, they would go to the championship bracket.

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP

JV VOLLEYBALL-Seminole def. JV Loboes-25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-25, 17-19

SANDHILLS TOURNAMENT JV Loboes def. Van Horn 15-9, 15-8 JV Loboes lost to Frenship 16-15, 19-15 JV Loboes def. Pecos 25-22, 25-9 JV Loboes lost to Odessa High 19-25, 19-25 JV Loboes def. Frenship for 3rd place 25-13, 22-25, 25-13

Coaches Comments: Teh JV girls won 3rd place in the Monahans Tournament. On Friday the team beat Van Horn in Pool Play and lost to Frenship to finish 2nd in their Pool. On Saturday the JV beat Pecos in two games, lost to Odessa High in two, and beat Frenship for 3rd place in 3 games. Allison Miller, Camilla Cutbirth, Brianna Williams, Lupe Navarrete, kalie Harris, and Janessa Rodriquez all played well at the net, and Brittany Slade Played well on Defense, and Shea Scott and Brianna Chaney did well setting and hitting.

FRESHMAN VOLLEYBALL-9th Loboes def. Permian 25-7, 25-10.bethany Willmon- 4 aces, 6 blks., 12 kills, 2 assts.;Dina Ortiz- 7 service pts.; Catherine Cutbirth- 5 service pts.

9th Loboes def. Lamesa 25-23, 18-28, 25-16 willmon-1 aces, 1 blks., 2 kills, Paige Shaw- 3 digs; Ortiz- 3 aces, 2 digs, 1 kill; Cutbirth- 2 kills; Vanessa Walker- 2 Assts., 2 digs; Kimberly Wilson- 2 digs.

COACHES COMMENTS:  Come out to see this team play. They are entertaining.

Sandhills Tournement-9th def. Andrews 25-23, 22-25, 25-18

CHAPIONSHIP GAME 9TH LOBOES DEF. MIDLAND HIGH 25-22, 22-25, 25-18      

Playing With the Big Girls
    Loboes Win Gold Bracket S.A. Championship
        by Dave Poynor, Sports Editor -- Monahans News -- September 4, 2003

For the second week in a tow the Lobo volleyball team won a championship trophy, this time in the prestigious San Angelo Tournament Gold Bracket.

It was the first time since 1982 the Ladies have won in San Angelo, and the wins came over some of the top teams in the area.

The MHS girls beat Bronte on Friday morning to set up an early match with the 2002 tournament champion Lubbock Coronado team. The Loboes played some of their best ball of the year, coming from behind twice to beat Coronado, 25-23. 25-21.

Late Friday night the Green overcame another traditionally tough opponent Kerrville Tivy. It was a battle of survival for the Loboes who were drained from a long day of play and tough contest with Coronado.

"We were fatigued after the Coronado Game," said Monahans Coach Patty Hall-Dominguez. "It was more mental fatigue than physical. Coronado really made us think. It was tough to come back and win."

The three set win over Tivy put the team in the Gold Bracket, and after Friday morning's 25-18. 25-14 quarterfinal win over El Paso High, Hall-Dominguez decided her team still looked worn.

"We took them to eat and then put them in a corner of the gym to rest," she said. "The parents helped by keeping them hydrated with drinks." 

The Loboes came back refreshed against San Angelo Lakeview and strong hitter Allison Hill. The front line blocked Hill well, shut her down, and came out with a 25-21, 25-14 win to get to the championship game.

Championship opponent El Paso Montwood also sported a Division I signee at middle hitter, and thought the Ladies could not shut her out, the contained her and played good team ball for the relatively east 25-11, 25-14 win.

"I was very pleased with what they did," the coach said. "The teams were so good it was like playing Midland High six times."

Rachel Miller and Laura Crumrine were named to the All-Tournament team, and sophomore Brittany Hughes was the tournament MVP. All three garnered the same honors the week before.

"She (Hughes) is more mature this year," Dominguez said. "She is a little bigger and stronger, and that has helped her."
Dominguez said Miller carried the team late Friday, and though she was not as dominating Saturday, the other two hitters/blockers stepped it up when needed. The coach said Lyndi Cypher was strong defensively, and Whitney Mitchell also made good sets and spectacular saves all weekend. She praised Candace Swarb, who is ever-improving.

"She has come so far," she said. "I forget she is a sophomore out there."

The team, ranked number two in the state by the coaches' association early this week, finally had a letdown at Wink that evening. Their 19-25, 25-22, 21-25, 22-25 loss to last year's regional tournament foe Denver City was disappointing to Hall, but not surprising.

"We did not play very well," the coach said. "It all caught up to us."

The team had an uncharacteristic nine service errors in the match, and did not look especially sharp in any phase.
They did come back to beat Wink in the Late Game, and at 16-1 have two days to get ready for the next challenge-the Seminole Tournament.

The Ladies will try to make it three in a row against another good field. Coronad, Lamesa, Herefod, Andrews, and Big Spring will be contenders for the tournament title.

The Loboes face Andrews at 10 a.m. Friday. A win would set another match with Lubbock Coronado at 3 p.m.
District play opens in two weeks when the Loboes take on Greenwood here.

Back on Track
    Ladies rebound after off day Friday
        By Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- 09-11-03

A shaky day turned into an outright ugly one Friday for the Lobo volleyball team.  Coach Patty Dominguez' team started off slow, getting by Andrews in the first round of the Seminole tournament, then lost to a very respectable Lubbock Coronado team in the second.  The wheels fell off in the third game when the MHS girls lost to Seminole, a team they had blown away twice before.

The 25-18, 25-16 loss send Dominguez ballistic.

"I was very upset," she said.  "We played poorly.  Could not pass the ball at all.  Our passes were too high, our sets were way to high.  The girls were in tears.  They felt humiliated."

So Dominguez cancelled the hotel reservations and scheduled a practice back home at the Larned Complex.  She was most concerned with one factor - a team playing not to lose, a definite no-no with the rally scoring system.

Back home, the team took the floor at 7 p.m. and walked off at nine feeling much better about things.

"We got together and worked it out," the coach said.  "We needed to learn that mistakes are going to happen, but we can't compound them with mental errors and let things snowball."

Saturday morning saw the Loboes back in action against a good Midland High team.  The MHS girls looked better in the 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 win, but Dominguez was not satisfied.

"It was better," she said.  "But I still saw us playing not to lose."

The real deal showed up for Monahans against the Lakeview Maidens.  The Ladies dismantled the San Angels team, 25-10, 25-10, behind great all-around defensive play.

The championship game was a rematch with Coronado.  Although the MHS team lost in three to finish second in the tournament, Dominguez was not too upset.

"It was a case of two good teams playing well," she said.  "They just played a little better."

The Loboes knocked off two more quality opponents Tuesday with wins over Midland Lee (19-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22), and Snyder (25-21, 25-17, 25-19).

The wins came with a lot of service errors for the Ladies because of a new Dominguez tactic.  She now has every player with the exception of an ailing Whitney Mitchell jump serving.

"I've never done that before," the coach said.  "I felt like with the new scoring our serves have to be more of an attack.  By the end of the night we were looking better with it."

The team, now 21-4, stands poised to put up some amazing numbers.  With three matches here this weekend, and three more before district begins, the girls could well have 35 wins before the playoffs.

All three teams will finally be in action here this Saturday against Big Spring, Wink, and Andrews.  MHS squares off with Big Spring at noon.

Loboes begin defense of 4-3A title
    by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- Septembere 18, 2003

The Lobo volleyball team wraps up the preseason this Saturday before beginning the defense of their district title Tuesday against Greenwood.

Monahans dropped a hard fought match to Big Spring last Saturday in a rare home loss for MHS.

The talented Big Spring team held off the Green 25-21, and 27-25 in the firs two games.  Monahans fought back and showed their physical conditioning in the next two, 26-24, 26-24.  In the final game, the Lady Steers got the breaks and made a couple of crucial outside dinks to decide the contest, 15-13.

"They are a good team," said Lobo coach Patty Dominguez.  "I don't think we played that well.  We did not execute defensively, and we did not communicate well at the end.  You have to learn to adjust to what the other team is doing."

Lyndi Cypher and Whitney Mitchell showed good quickness on defense against Big Spring, making digs off the big hitters on the Steers front line.  Trisha Clements also played well.

"We moved Trisha outside," said Dominguez, "and I think that spot suits her."

The team bounced back with a win over Andrews Saturday afternoon, 25-11, 25-21, and 25-20.  They went on to run their to 25-5 with wins over Alpine and Marathon Tuesday in Alpine.

Brittany Hughes' jump serve was a major weapon against the Lady Bucks.  MHS jumped on Alpine early 25-9, 25-11, then had a bad service game and gave one away.  In the fourth, Hughes had six aces to lead the girls to the 25-12 finale.

"We looked much better," the coach said.  "I felt like we surprised some people in the stands, we played so well."

Bronte comes to the Larned Complex Saturday for a final non-district contest, and District 4-3A opens play Tuesday with Greenwood here.  Monahans is a heavy favorite to win the district, but the second and third place races will be wild.  Kermit beat Pecos once already, although Pecos was expected to be one of the better teams in the area.  Presidio and Greenwood will probably contend before the district season is over.

The Lady Loboes, now ranked third on the state by the coaches association, will be challenged with keeping their level of play up in a district that does not have the athletes this season.  Dominguez said that responsibility will rest on the veteran players.

"I want to keep polishing our offense during district," she said, "and we talked about that some last night, about who we are.  We are Monahans volleyball, and that carries a lot of weight.  When we walk on the court, we already have a small advantage because of that.  But we have to live up to it."

Hall said her team showed the shape they were in Saturday, and that conditioning and staying healthy would be important with a nine-player team.

The girls will continue to work against the Block-it machine, use their new serving machine, and play against a talented junior high coaches Sarah Carrell and Sharon Lister to stay sharp in district.

The JV begins play here Saturday at 10 am, followed by the varsity at 11.

Ladies off to running start in title defense
    By Dave Poyner, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- September 25, 2003

One of the preseason goals for the lobo volleyball team was the completion of back-to-back undefeated district championships.  The girls took one step in this rare 4-3A occurrence by taking care of one of the best teams in the league this year, Greenwood, in straight games Tuesday at the larnard Complex.

Monahans looked sharp for two games, then coasted to the third game victory, 25-14, 25-11, 25-18.

Senior Laura Crumrine is finding "A" game at the right time of the year. The hitter led the team with 19 kills and seven blocks, along with six digs and nine service points.

"Laura really played a good game," said coach Patty Dominguez. "She played like a true senior. There were a couple of times she got up and was way over the net."

Sophomore Buddies Candace Swarb and Brittany Hughes had good nights as well. Swarb set the table with 30 assist, and Hughes had 15 kills, five blocks, nine digs and nine service points.

A lot of Swarb's success comes from the pinpoint passing of senior Whitney Mitchell. The two have been working overtime twice a week on target drills and setting to an exact spot, and it is paying off.

"Whitney's stats can be misleading," Said Hall, "if you don't watch us play. The newspapers don't keep stats on passing, but I do. She does an excellent job with that first pass that allows Candace to make the sets.

Hughes had the typical game fans have come to expect from the All-Sate award winner. if anything, her problem is gearing down for a slower game at times. her front line help including Kiley Blalock with six blocks and two kills, and Rachel Miller, who had four kills and two Blocks.

the race for second place in the district will be worth watching. Pecos beat Kermit Tuesday, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-11, and Fort Stockton got Presidio, 25-18, 25-9, 23-25, 25-16.

Monahans host Stockton Saturday and goes to Pecos Tuesday. The following Saturday will be the last home weekend game, and that day, Oct. 4, will be parent's Day, where each volleyball parent, freshman, JV and Varsity, will be recognized.

In Control and Cruising
    ~~ Ladies remain undefeated near district halfway
                by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- October 4, 2003

After a so-so win over Fort Stockton Saturday, the Lobo volleyball team got rave reviews from Coach Patty Dominguez in their victory at Pecos Tuesday.

Monahans was somewhat lax in Saturday's match here at the Larned Complex, taking the Prowlers in the first two, 25-13, 25-16. Hall was not pleased with the team's nine service errors in the two games , and called a team discussion before the third.

"We just talked about everything being accountable," she said. "We talked about taking care of responsibilities and being accountable to everyone on the team."

Dominguez said the intensity was vastly improved in the third game, as the Loboes jumped out early and finished off Stockton 25-11.

Brittany Hughes and senior Laura Crumrine led the Loboes in kills and blocks, five digs, and 11 service points. Crumrine frustrated Stockton with 8 blocks and 11 put-aways. Candace Swarb set up 20 assist for the girls up front and added 13 service points and a couple of kills.

Dominguez pulled Lupe Navarrete up from the JV to add the tenth player she needed for depth, and the coach was pleased with the results, although the sophomore has seen no playing time yet.

"I think the difference in practice since she moved up," Dominguez said. "It helped our intensity. She is coming along, learning the defense. That is where she can help."

The intensity carried carried over to Pecos Tuesday. The Eagles were dismantled by the Green, 25-9, 25-10, 25-8. The scores, Though lopsided, were not indicative of the lobo domination. Monahans jumped out 13-0 lead in the first game, 14-0 in two, and 12-0 in the third. Besides good serving ,seniors Rachel Miller, Whitney Mitchell, and Crumrine made their last visit to Pecos a Memorable one. Hall assigned Miller to Eagles 'Leslie Rodriguez, Their biggest and best player. Miller shut her down with an outstanding blocking game, and when she tried to hit around Miller, Lyndi Cypher and other Loboes we there for defensive digs.

"Whitney  and Laura  were just clicking together," the coach said. "Whitney was putting up the short sets from Lyndi's passes, and Laura was putting them down. I think Pecos was shell-shocked." The girls, now ranked number seven in 3A by the coaches, received further motivation when Odessa American Ranking came out. Denver City, a team that has not lost since August, is number one, followed by Monahans. Dominguez said her girls know the quality of team D.C. is, and they realize the two teams could very well meet again in Lubbock for the rematch of least year's regional championship.

The coach added pressure drills this week to keep the team fire going. She said they practiced against a server, but could not count a point unless it came off the quick set.

"I could see in their faces they were getting frustrated," she said.  "They want to get better.  After the Pecos game, I feel like we are right on pace from last year at this time."

With the halfway point approaching next week, Hall begins sending out assistant coaches this week, to scout the panhandle teams (Perryton, River Road, Canyon) and the possible first round opponents (Seminole, Lamesa).

The Loboes (28-5, 3-0) take on Kermit here Saturday and go to Presidio Tuesday night.  Hall invites everyone out Saturday for the freshman, JV, and varsity games that begin 4 p.m. Saturday is Parents' Day, and each high school players' parents will be recognized on the court thirty minutes before that game.  The games start at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00.

Taking Care of Business
    Loboes remain undefeated, begin gearing up toward playoffs
        ~~by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- Ocotber 11, 2003

Admittedly, it is a good problem to have for volleyball Coach Patty Dominguez and her staff. A lobo team that is so clearly head and shoulders above everyone else in 4-3A is strangely wishing for tougher opposition.

Thus it is the MHS team's challenge to play at an increasingly higher level against twice-weekly competition that cannot bring out the best in them. The girls are doing a fine job of it, too, thanks to demanding more of themselves in a rigorous practice sessions every day, setting point total goals each match, and focusing on the tough teams that lie in wait as the UIL state playoffs begin.

The Larned Sports Complex was the site for Saturday's Kermit game and it was an emotional one for the volleyball clan. Parents from each of the high school team's were recognized before their daughters took the court. It was an especially tough moment for the coach when the seniors saluted their family members.

"I thought our parents handled the day very well," Dominguez said. "Our girls did also. I on the other hand, got emotional with the seniors, especially Laura Crumrine. I have had her on varsity for three years now, and have seen her blossom into the player and young lady she is now. It has been great."

The girls played a so-so first game, by their standards, but came on strong for the 25-12, 25-6, 25-11 wins to move to 400. Crumrine and Brittany Hughes combined for 36 kills and 11 blocks in the match. Sophomore Candace Swarb had 30 assists and eight service points, and senior Whitney Mitchell led the girls with six digs, two aces, and six assists. Lyndi Cypher was the service points leader with 14, followed by Hughes with 13, and Mitchell and Trisha Clements with 11 each.

"We are creating big leads but not finishing them," said the coach after the game. "I felt like we could have finished the second and third allowing three or five points.   We made some mental errors that gave Kermit points, not on anything they created. That is where we have to create more focus drills in practice."

Tuesday brought the long Presidio road trip and the end of the first half of league play. All three Lobo teams handled the trip well with straight game matches.

The Loboes allowed 12, 6, and 8 points in their sweep, and Dominguez was pleased to get the road win behind them. She cited Mitchell's play in running the offense with authority, said senior Rachel Miller's leadership was evident, and spoke highly of sophomore Lupe Navarrete, recently move up form JV. 

"Lupe came through on her defense and is definitely pushing for a spot," she said. "We passed the ball well, for the first time in a log while. We were really good passing to target. It is still not as sharp as I would like, but it is much better."

Monahans begins the second half with a trip to Greenwood Saturday, followed by Stockton, Pecos, Kermit and Presidio again. With a break Oct. 18 for band contest.

Should things continue to go as planned, the ladies would have a bye week as district champs, they face the number three team out of District 1 in the area round of the playoffs. Canyon is undefeated, with river Road second, and Borger third. Should those standings stay the same, the Loboes would meet Borger at a neutral halfway site, probably in the Lubbock area on the Nov. 6-8 weekend. If Monahans and Midland High continue on their paths to district titles, those two teams will play the one allowed practice match on Tues., Nov. 4.

The only area 3-A. The Fillies have been on the MHS girls' minds for a while since they lost to D.C., and although fans and newspapers will soon be hyping that possible regional final rematch, Dominguez said that is too far in the future.

"Our girls know that once you get into the playoffs," she said, "everyone is tough, and anybody can win. You see our board, and during the district we have all the district teams on there.  Once playoffs start, we will have only one team on that board ,our next opponent."

Monahans def. Kermit 25-12, 25-6, 25-11 

Kills: Laura Crumrine 19, Brittany Hughes 17, Rachel Miller 3, Lyndi Cypher 3, Candace Swarb 2, Kiley Blalock 1. 

Blocks: Hughes 7, Miller 6, Crumrine 4, Blalock 1. Assists: Swarb 30, Whitney Mitchell 6, Blalock 3, Hughes 1, Miller 1, Cypher 1. 

Digs: Mitchell 6, Hughes 4, Cypher 3, Swarb 2, Crumrine 1, Trisha Clements 1, Emily Speed 1, Lupe Navarette 1. Aces: Hughes 3, Mitchell 2, Swarb 1, Crumrine 1, Cypher 1, Navarette 1. 

Service Points: Cypher 14, Hughes 13, Clements 11, Mitchell 11, Swarb 8, Navarette 8, Crumrine 7, Speed 3.

Monahans def. Presidio 25-12, 25-6, 25-8. 

Kills: Crumrine 13, Brittany Hughes 9, Swarb 2, Miller 2, Cypher 2, Blalock 1. Blocks: Miller 2, Swarb 1, Hughes 1,
Blalock 1. 

Assists: Whitney Mitchell 13, Swarb 6, Hughes 1. Digs: Swarb 1, Cypher 1. 

Aces: Hughes 6, Crumrine 4, Cypher 2, Clements 1, Mitchell 1. 

Service Points: Cypher 17, Crumrine 15, Mitchell 14, Hughes 12, Clements 9, Swarb 5, Navarette 2.

Down the Stretch
    Ladies need three strong matches to prepare for playoffs
        ~~ by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News - October 18, 2003

Usually, an interruption of a team's routine is the last thing a coach would wish for in the middle of league play. This Saturday's open date for band contest, however, could not have come at a better time for varsity Lady Lobo volleyball.

A freak accident in practice last week injured senior Kiley Blalock's ankle.  When she went to the floor, she took Brittany Hughes with her, resulting in a strain in the patella tendon of Hughes' knee.  That left Blalock out of the lineup and Hughes taped up and limping.

Sophomore Alison Miller was added to the lineup for Saturday's match at Greenwood, and she performed like a veteran with key blocks and good sets.

"She did not hesitate to hit the ball and keep it in play," said Coach Patty Dominquez after the 25-6, 25-12, 25-11 win.  "We did not miss a beat."

Trisha Clements had one of her best games as a varsity player at Greenwood, coming up with some spectacular digs that helped keep the MHS momentum going.

Hughes was played only sparingly, and though she was still better than most, her play was not up to her stellar level, with 11 kills and five blocks.

The older Miller, Rachel, and Laura Crumrine picked up the slack by dominating the net.  Crumrine had 20 kills and 10 blocks on the day.

Hughes and Lyndi Cypher accounted for 41 service points, and Candace Swarb had 20 assists to go along with Whitney Mitchell's 12.

"Overall, the defense looked better," said Dominquez, "and the setters covered the dinks better."

The Ladies had one of their poorest showings of the year in Fort Stockton Tuesday.  It is a tribute to the team that players, coaches, fans, and parents were disappointer, yet the team one in three games, 25-14,25-19, 25-21.

"The Fort Stockton match was probably the most unfocused I have seen our players," the coach said.  "Emily Speed did a good job defensively and had some key serves to pull out of the holes we dug for ourselves.

The coaches were unhappy with the performance, mainly because of a 10-1 lead to start the third game.  After Wednesday's practice, Dominguez was in a better mood, saying, "The intensity was back up, and the girls looked really focused.

The Lobo coaches were thrown a curve in scouting plans after wild week in 1-3A.  Canyon is now undefeated, but everyone else in the district is 2-3.  Dominguez said she hoped things cleared up after the panhandle games Saturday and Tuesday.  She and coaches Becky Melius and Becky Hix now predict either Perryton or River Road as an Area Round opponent.

The girls are hoping for a good stretch of play for the final three district games - Pecos here Tuesday, Kermit there Saturday, and Presidio here Oct. 28.  Plans are still in effect for a practice game with Midland High, probably Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The fist round playoff game will most likely be at Lubbock Christian University, Nov. 7 or 8.

"The girls realize we only have three games," Dominguez added, "and then we are in a do-or-die situation from then on.  We could have easily let Fort Stockton take one from us, but we didn't.  We need that type of determination to get to where we want to be."

Title Clincher
    Loboes wrap up championship, playoffs ahead
        ~~ By Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News - October 25, 3003

It was just another ho-hum district championship for the lobo volleyball team Tuesday as their victory over Pecos mathematically guaranteed the title would stay in Monahans.

To see the winners after the game, it did not appear to be a celebration at all.

"The girls are focused," said coach Patty Dominguez. "They know what lies ahead."

The Ladies were somewhat sluggish in the first match, but played solid defense, as they would all night. Pecos, though outmatched, played technically sound and made a late run in the first game to get four straight points and pull within five, 22-17. Senior Laura Crumrine dashed all hopes with two straight kills, one on a good
set from partner Rachel Miller. Miller and Crumrine finished the game with a block that hit the Pecos floor to settle game one.

The second game looked a little more like the team fans are used to seeing. Trisha Clements and Lyndi Cypher had good defensive digs, and Whitney Mitchell gave the Eagles a lot of problems with her serve. Cypher finished the game with four service points in a row, 25-11.

Game three was the same story; Cypher led with five points served, and the power game of Brittany Hughes and Crumrine was too much for Pecos.

Monahans' defense was solid all night with every player including the big girls, making athletic digs. When Pecos went from power to dinking, they could not find any spot that was not covered.

"Trisha and Lyndi are moving very well," said Dominguez/ "they are seeing the angles and covering them like I knew they eventually would."

Mitchell and Crumrine did a good job of mixing up the plays in their offensive attack. The two seniors teamed up for multiple kills and Dominguez said the senior maturity is staring to show.

"I've seen it and always heard that this time of year the seniors start felling a sense of urgency," she said. "I've seen it in track, and I am seeing that in these senior girls."

Crumrine totaled 20 kills on the night, compared to Hughes' 11, but Hughes had a higher percentage of balls put away.

"We did not set the ball to Brittany as well as we did to laura," the coach said.

"Laura does a good job though. Her kills may not be as hard as Brittany's but she gets the job done."

The coach was pleased with defense and serving overall, but was not satisfied with the speed and consistency on offense, especially in transition. To that end, she put Junior high coaches Sharon Lister and Sara Carrell to work on the floor with the team this week. 

Kiley Blalock's injured ankle is still keeping her out of action, though she should return this week. Hughes still keeps her knee wrapped, but is just about a hundred percent, according to Dominguez.

Pecos (6-2,14-15 is now almost a shooing as the second place team in the league. Greenwood to hold third place alone.

The Loboes go to Kermit Saturday, then come home Tuesday for what could be the final home appearance for the seniors. Tuesday night will be a special celebration, with the introduction of the junior high players and district championship trophy presentation. The JV and Freshmen teams end their seasons as well beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Larned Complex and high school gym.

See next Wednesday's News for practice game and playoff information.

Ready for Some Serious Competition
    ladies complete sweep of 4-3A, look to fine tune before playoffs
        ~~ by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer --- Monahans News - November 1, 2003

It was nothing personal against the Presidio Blue devils. It is just the fact the their best in preparation for the playoffs next week. The result was ugly, as the Ladies put down kill after kill in the 25-4, 25-6, 25-13 district finale.

Laura Crumine continued to play the best volleyball of her life, blocking, smashing from good assists, using the cross- court quick set effectively, and even dinking some well-placed kills. The senior sent an early message in game one with a hard shot, and it seems to intimidate Presidio for the entire match.

Brittany Hughes, as always, put down devastating kills at the net. She showed her versatility in this match as well, with solid defense and a nasty topspin serve. Rachel Miller was strong defensively on the net, preventing the Blue Devils from getting any kind of offense going.

The win came on the heels of another ho-hum 25-7, 25-11, 25-9 win at Kermit Saturday. The girls sealed the deal for the second straight year, 10-0 in district with straight game victories. Another goal accomplished for coach Patty Dominguez' team as they now prepare for what she calls the "third season."

"We looked good in those first two games," she said. "We are working very hard on those quick set. Laura has a lot of faith in Whitney ( Mitchell) and Candace (Swarb). She calls for that quick set because she believes they will put it where she wants it." Dominguez has grounded Hughes from using her devastating jump serve until she is certain her injured knee can take the pounding. It hasn't hurt the sophomores' effect on opponents, because her topspin delivery has been almost as strong.

"I'm waiting to be certain, " Dominguez said, "When the trainer say he is sure she's a hundred percent, then she will start jump serving again."

The coach, in the midst of the mad rush of playoff preparation-planning scouting trips, setting up match sites, answering media phone calls, and dealing with teams wanting to play here, took some time to check out a delivery. Thursday's mail brought a special deliver - the eight state championship banners soon to be hanging in the Larned Sports Complex.

The Lobo coach would love to be ordering number nine soon, and knows what it will take to get there. 

"I don't know how to put this," she said, "but we need someone to challenge us. We have those young Junior high coaches hitting with us, and they can kill the ball. That is helping. I can see that already. Playing Wink will be good for us, too."

The practice match set up with  4-5A champion Midland High fell through, as did a tentative match with El Paso Montwood, so the Loboes host Wink Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the only practice game allowed.

"wink will put up a fight," said Dominguez. "It will be a good they will hustle for balls, and we won't be getting these one shot kills we have had. It will take three or four rallies. They are better than anyone we've played in a while."

The Ladies draw a bye in the first round and will face the Dalhart Wolves net Saturday at Plainview. Dominguez' information was still sketchy on Dalhart as she scrambled to find a scouting report. She did say the Wolves have some size, including s 6'3" girl.

Greenwood upset Pecos on the final night of the season to force a playoff between those two teams here Saturday at 6:30. Both teams are in the playoffs, but the game will be meaningful for the second and third place bracket seedlings.

Dominguez said her girls will be ready for the playoffs.

"They were kind of shocked when we went over out goals," she said. "We marked off the ones we have accomplished and the next one is area championship. They could not believe it is already here."

Game time Tuesday is 5p.m.

Ready or not, here we come
    Ladies look shart Tuesday in warm-up for playoffs this weekend
        ~~by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- November 8, 2003

If they are not at the top of their game, they are very close. That was the opinion of seniors Rachel Miller, Laura Crumrine, Whitney Mitchell, and Coach Patty Dominguez Wednesday morning after a final tune-up game with wink the night before.

As healthy they have been in the month, the Lobo volleyball team defeated the tradition-rich Wildcats in three games in work manlike fashion, 25-13, 25-15, 25-15. Kiley Blalock saw significant playing time and showed no signs of the nagging ankle injury that has plagued her for a month. Super soph Brittany Hughes is back at full speed and looked ready to raise her game to playoff levels, a scary thought for future opponents.

Middle hitter Crumrine admits she is playing the best volleyball of her distinguished career, which is a big boost for Hughes and Miller, Crumrine's physical strength was evident in her leaping ability Tuesday, Several times she hung in midair before putting down kills.

"I'm excited about my improvement," she said, Asked what it felt like to be a senior going into the playoffs, she answered, "It is a little different. Not that you put out any more effort. We always put out our best, but maybe we will enjoy it a little more."

Crumrine had 17 kills and 7 blocks, second only to Hughes. The sophomore is now literally head and shoulders above the net at times. Her 17 kills we all dead solid, thanks to the assists of fellow sophomore Candace Swarb. Swarb had 21 sets on the night, five digs, and two aces. Her short sets to Hughes were perfectly timed. The 31 set call requires Hughes, Crumrine, and Miller to be in the air when the ball is passed, and when Swarb and company work on it, it is a nightmare for the opposition.

Rachel Miller, cohort of Crumrine and big sister Alison, admits her grandmothers' description "just mean" is a good one for the Millers. She came on strong in game three, putting blocks and knocking down two big kills. Her totals-7 blocks, 7 kills, 2 digs.

"Blocking is her number one role, "That is so important be cause it keeps them off balance and off our middle hitters." Mitchell, the feisty little senior redhead, said she played  "not so well" Tuesday, but coaches and players agreed she will be there in the upcoming big games. She had seven assist, seven service points, and a dig in the team's 36th win of the season.

"It is kind of scary." Mitchell said of her last chance in the playoffs, "But it is fun, too. We need to focus more...mental focus and toughness. We have to make the most of it."

The road to San Marcos and the state tournament goes through Plainview this year as the Loboes host the Dalhart Golden Wolves (20-12, 4-4) from 1-3A Saturday. Dominguez and her assistants don't have much information on the Wolves as they backed into the Playoffs late in the season.

"It bothers me," the head coach said. "I like knowing as much as possible. The are big. The have a 6' 3" and a 5' 11" hitter. I hear their offense is as good as their sets."  Dominguez said her crew will probably be more intense because of the unfamiliarity of the opponent. She was most proud of her team's maturity, and feels the ability at adjust on the fly is one of the best things they have going as a team.

"That is the exciting part," she said. "They are figuring out things for themselves, making adjustments, making the calls that I had to make for them earlier. They are growing up."

The winner of the area round game takes on Lamesa Tuesday in a regional quarterfinal match up. Should the Loboes advance, they would play the Tors at Odessa High School.

Saturday's game at Plainview's Wayland Baptist University is set for 5 p.m.

The 'We' in Teamwork
    Unheralded Ladies step up in wins over Dalhart and Lamesa
        ~~by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- November 15, 2003

If fans see a Lobo volleyball player getting a lot of floor time, there is a reason for it.

In coach patty Dominguez' system, it doesn't matter who you are, who your family is, what you did as a junior high player, or what size you are. The girls with the playing time are the ones that earn it, day in and day out.

Thus, some opponents may be surprised to see Lyndi Cypher, Emily Speed, Trisha Clements, or Kiley Blalock come up with big plays in big playoff games. Not Dominguez. She expects it, and the strength and depth of her team are showing at the perfect time of year.

Sure Brittany Hughes, Laura Crumine, Rachel Miller, Candace Swarb, and Whitney Mitchell are playing outstanding volleyball, as fans have come to expect. What may be the special edge for the 2003 Lobo team in upcoming games is this-when one of those players is defended or off her game, someone else is there to make plays

Cypher is a prime example, playing some of her best ball in the last two playoff wins. In the 25-15, 25-15, 25-7 win over Dalhart, she came up with 13 digs and 17 service points. Against Lamesa Tuesday, it wasn't the numbers that were impressive as much as her timing. she came up with diving digs at opportune times off Lamesa's Ashley Hunter. When Crumrine was defended early, Cypher came up and made plays at the net.

"they took away Laura's right side early and frustrated her, "Dominguez said. " Lyndi did some good things. She got a couple of good swings at the net, and so they had to respect her, too. When Whitney and Candace faked to her, they had to defend it."

The Loboes have had a nice progression of opponents in the last two weeks. The Dalhart win was a good test, and the MHS girls passed it with flying colors. Hughes and Crumine were about par (for them) with 32 kills and 10 blocks between them. Swarb had 19 assists, and Mitchell was all over the place with 10 digs and 11 assists, and those two combined for 20 service points and a couple of aces.

As expected, Coach Patty Browning's Golden Tornadoes came to play Tuesday, although they had to be intimidated by the packed eastside stands. It was probably the biggest road crowd to watch a Lobo volleyball match, and they were vocal.

"Our girls really did not notice that in the game," the head coach said. "But when they watched the tape and heard the crowd when we had a kill, they got pumped up."

Lamesa fought hard and stepped out to a 3-0, then 7-3 lead with, defensive digs that were as good as any the Loboes have seen.  With crumrine not in her rhythm early, Hughes woke the crowd up with big kills at 7-6. Clements aced to go 7-7, then Hughes hit her third straight kill to give the Loboes their first lead at 8-7. The LHS girls mounted another comeback, but strong plays from Miller, Swarb, and finally Cypher with to put-aways ended the game with a 25-19 win.

Game two got off to a 3-3 tie before the longest point of the night ended in a Hughes kill. She put three in a row down and the Loboes never looked back. At 17-8 Crumrine came alive with a kill and a smash forced between two blockers, and the Tors started looking whipped. Mitchell made a diving dig to help Miller get a point, then made another assist to end the game 25-13.

In the end Monahans power for the well-coached Tors. Swarb and Hughes served four straight. Crumrine controlled the middle in the third game, getting most of her kills in the final 15 points of the night. Clements came on with some late serves, and Hughes put the last point away off the Lamesa back line player to end the game, 25-15.

"Kiley (Blalock) blocked well," Dominguez said, "and I thought Emily Speed did a good job of passing to target."

Hughes was everywhere the team needed her, whether it was passing, serving, making digs, or blocking. The versatile athlete sometimes makes the game look so easy she goes unnoticed.

"She is just an all-around player," said Dominguez of her sophomore. "She had a quick arm Tuesday, and she is a smart hitter. She understands the needs to move to try to get that one-on-one match-up, and when she gets that, no one can handle her."

The ladies return to the regional tournament at Lubbock, but this weekend's games will be at Lubbock Christian University in stead of the United  Spirit Arena. Monahans (38-5) will face Sanger (15-15) at 7:30 Friday night for a chance at the regional finals and the Denver City (35-3) and Graham (28-8) winner Saturday at noon.

Dominquez' daughter Kristen Hall scouted Sanger Tuesday Night for her mom, and said the Indians have some size.

"They have a 5'7" girl who can just jump out of the gym," the coach said. "And they have two six footers. Their strength is in the middle." As for looking past Sanger to a possible rematch with the D.C. Fillies, the coach thought that would no be a problem.

"We don't know much about Sanger," she said. "We have to focus on them first, because of the unknown. So we don't want to talk about Denver City right now. If we do get to play them. that is great. I know they want to play us, and we want to play them again.

Killers
    Loboes thrash D.C., earn trip to state tournament  
        ~~By Dave Poynor, Staff Writer  -- Monahans News -- November 19, 2003

Every good coach will tell you it is hard to beat a team twice.

Usually that is in reference to a playoff game against a quality opponent you managed to beat in the regular season, and no coach is comfortable in that situation. The flip side, however, in a pretty good spot to be in.

The Lobo volleyball team went into the regional championship game against Denver City under those circumstances. In their earlier meeting this year, Monahans’ girls had come off a rough stretch of games including the San Angelo Tournament championship. They were dead-legged and emotionally drained, and played like it.

That loss burned for a long time, and the Odessa American’s rankings put Monahans behind Denver City for the rest of the season. That made that MHS girls good and mad, too, so when they took the floor against an overconfident Fillies team in the regional finals, Lobo fans were pretty sure what was about to happen.

Sure enough, their girls went off on D.C., shocking them 25-12 in the first game in route to a four game victory.

After a 7-7 start in Game One, Brittany Hughes kill put the Loboes up by one and they never looked back. Great service game from Trisha Clements, Lyndi Cypher, and Emily Speed kept the shell-shocked Fillies off balance,  resulting in  more aggressive play by the Green. Laura Crumrine sat for a while early on, then came out swinging. She had a stretch of five kills sandwiched around a Hughes ace in the middle of a 7-0 Lobo run.

The Fillies shoed some fight toward the end of the game, especially on the last point, but their faces could not hide their concern and even fear after the 25-12 loss.

“I think they came out lethargic because of the way they beat us the last time,” said MHS Coach Patty Dominguez. “It gave us the advantage. We were focused, but we knew after the first game it would not be that easy.”

The Fillies woke up in the second game and shoed why they have not lost a game since August. Amanda Hiller gathered her team and gave them a pep talk, and they responded. Hiller was a frequent target of the Loboes’ servers, but she still managed to get some big kills, blocks and digs to help her team rebound.

Meanwhile, Hughes was not getting the open kills for the Loboes, either because of the defense in the middle or because of bad passes. True to form for this team, others were there to take up her slack. Rachel Miller had several kills, as did Kiley Blaylock. Cypher made a key block, and toward the end of the game, Candace Swarb and Whitney Mitchell began to set Crumrine up on the left side of the net. Crumrine was dominant again, and as good as Hiller and partner Krissa Johnson played, the Fillies went down 25-23 on Hughes kill.

The Loboes lost some focus in the third game, although Crumrine seemed to get a kill on every point, and Coach Dominguez was not happy with the 25-21 loss. It was the first game the girls had lost in nearly six weeks.

‘We let up a little bit,’ she said, “thinking we had it, and Hiller made us pay.”

That set up a fourth game that was as good a volleyball game as a fan could wish for.  Every point was either a battle or a display of athleticism by a member of one team or the other. No one led by more than tree points until Crumrine caught the Fillies off balance on a block at 22-18. The Fillies made it 22-20 when Dominguez called a timeout. D.C. tried to fight back but Crumrine was too much, ending the match on a hard kill number 31 for the day.

“ We noticed the night before they (D.C.) were determined to defend the middle,” Dominguez said.” “Graham never tried to take in outside. When Laura moved outside she just killed them. That is the best game she has ever played.”

The coach said Speed was also playing at her highest level in the tournament, leading the team in serving in the semifinal win over Sanger Friday. Hughes had 18 kills in the Sanger game, but only seven on Saturday. The sophomore seemed to understand the Crumrine was on fire, so Hughes took on other roles, showing a lot of maturity for a young player. Crumrine, Hughes, and Swarb were named to the regional All-Tournament Team.

The Loboes toll into the state tournament with good health and a high level of confidence coming off a win over one of the best teams anywhere. The seeding process pits Monahans against the Caldwell Hornets (27-9) in the state semifinals in the 1 p.m. game Friday. Wimberley (38-3) and Carthage (28-4) meet in the other semifinal at 3:00.

Although Dominguez was still scouting reports on Caldwell, she said the team has a new coach and tradition. State champs in ’98 and 2000, Caldwell has been to the state tournament four times.

Wimberley has been the team predicted to get to the state finals all season. They won it all in 1999 and last year, and have a 4A All-State player that transferred in this past summer.

Dominguez said their second straight state tournament will be better because of the experience factor.

"All of these girls went last year," she said.  "They know what it will be like, the hoopla and all the excitement."

Monahans ranks third in all divisions for state championships with eight- 1969, 70,74, spring 75, fall 75,79,82,84.  The other two state tournament appearances were in '97 and last year.

This team wants to be the one to start a new dynasty and to help establish Monahans as the best volleyball city in the state. Their goals have been lofty since last summer.

"They were excited about the win over Denver City," said Dominguez.  "It was important for them, but it is not the ultimate goal."

Lady Loboes Win
    Girls take Caldwell in three - set for Carthage, championship Saturday
        ~~ by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- November 22, 2003

The Lady Loboes survived early errors and came back strong to advance to the 3-A State Championship volleyball finals with a 26-24,25-14, 25-23 win over the Caldwell Hornets in San Marcos Friday.

Monahans allowed the Hornets to stay in game one with uncharacteristic mistakes but came back from a 23-19 deficit to win.

Whitney Hughes had six kills and Candace Swarb had six assists in the first game.

Whitney Mitchell opened game two with six straight service points and Laura Crumrine came alive with seven kills while Hughes had five, and Rachel Miler came up with four big blocks to power the girls to a nine-point game to win.

Caldwell fought hard in the final game but in the end Hughes, Crumrine, and Miller and their teammates were too powerful.

Two errors ended the contest and took the Ladies to their ninth state championship game.

The Loboes will take on the winner of Carthage and Wimberly in Saturdays championship game a 1 p.m. in San Marcos.

Those who can't make the trip can listen on either KLBO or KTPX.

For a complete game report, see Wednesday's edition of The Monahans News.

The New Dynasty
    Ladies finish season in San Marcos, land nine on All-District team
        ~~by Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- November 11, 2003

It's always a heartache to end a season in the UIL playoffs, especially for an overachieving group of volleyball girls that became the town's sweethearts.

But if it has to end, it is better to lose in the state championship game against the best team in Texas.  Thus, there is no regrets, no what ifs for the Lobo team of 2003.  They made the state title game for the first time in 19 years before falling to a juggernaut Wimberley team Saturday in San Marcos.

The MHS girls, high off a spectacular performance against Denver City in the regional finals, faced the Caldwell Hornets in the state semifinals Friday.  They handled the anxiety of playing in the Strahan Coliseum on the Texas State University campus fairly easily, winning in three games.

"It wasn't too pretty," said Coach Patty Dominguez after the Caldwell game, "but we will take it."

The Loboes came up with the big plays when they needed them in the semifinals, thanks in no small part to Trisha Clements and Candace Swarb.  In the first game, the girls struggled but pulled out a come-from-behind 26-24 win.  Clements' serves were consistently well placed, and Swarb moved the ball around for six assists in the game.

Monahans' hitters came alive in games two and three and the Loboes ended the match 25-14, 25-23 with better play.  Brittany Hughes and Laura Crumrine totaled 32 kills between them and four blocks between them.  Rachel Miller made some of her trademark blocks, and Whitney Mitchell helped with six straight service points in game two and five defensive digs on the day.  Sward ended the match with 26 assists and eight digs, and Clements had four digs and an ace.

The team stayed around to watch the Carthage-Wimberley semifinal, and got a look at the back-to-back state champions for the first time.  The Lady Texans put away Carthage, and the Loboes knew it was going to be a tough state championship.

"We will have to play our very best," said assistant coach Becky Hix, who scouted  Wimberley twice this season.

As it turned out, the best probably would not have been enough.  The Lady Texans were nearly perfect in their execution Saturday in the three game match.  The Loboes did not play particularly well, but Wimberley was a big reason why.  When Dominguez' girls defended one part of the net, the Lady Texans would move to a different spot for the kill.  Their 6'2" Caitlin Rainbird, a 4A All-State player from Dripping Springs who transferred to Wimberley last summer, was unstoppable.  When Kiley Blalock and Miller would set up for the blocks, she would still find a way to get the kill.

The powerful Rainbird was just part of the show.  Tara Keye (6'0"), Courtney McCrocklin (5'9"), and Brittany Ables (5'10") were equally good at the net.  Jesi Grisham, the 5'7" head coaches' daughter, was the most impressive Lady Texan.  She had 34 assists on the day, all of them picture perfect.  Grisham was named state tournament MVP for the third straight year in the honors ceremony following the 25-16, 25-13, 25-12 final.

For all 4,463 in attendance it was obvious the best team in the state happened to be in 3A this season.  The Lady Texans list of victims this season included San Antonio Clark.  Clark, the team crowned 5A state champs late Saturday, lost to Wimberley in three straight just two weeks ago.  Austin Westlake, a team picked by many to win the championship, also fell to Wimberley early this season.

The Lady Loboes, who quite possibly could have won state in any other division but 3A, had nothing to hang their heads about.  Wimberley's girls, in addition to getting 6'2" All-State transfers, have somewhat of an unfair advantage.  Their girls do not participate in any other sports, don't do cheerleading or band, and do not do anything but volleyball.  The team will start club play next week and not stop playing competitive ball all year.

"They will play about 100 games a year together," said Dominguez.  "That is all they do.  I would not want that for our girls.  You only get to be a kid once.  You only go through high school once.  I want our girls to play basketball, to run track, to be in cheerleading.  They need to experience as much as they can.  It makes for more well-rounded individuals."

Dominguez said she and coach Becky Melius were already scheming on how to get back and win the state championship while still on the floor after the game.  Monday, however, she wanted to praise the accomplishments of this team and a special group of seniors.  She said the dynasty that was Monahans volleyball in the '70s and '80s was back.

"They have raised the bar again," she said.  "They got one step further, and want on two incredible win streaks this year.  I don't think they will realize for a while what they have accomplished."

Nine players on the team were recognized by the district coaches in their voting for All-District last month.  Although Monahans probably deserved all of the superlative spots on the team, it often does not work that way in an ever political process.  Brittany Hughes was given the Most Valuable Player award.  The sophomore, nicknamed Skywalker by KLBO's Dexter Nichols because of her leaping ability, had 143 kills and 46 blocks in 10 district games, and will undoubtedly be adding to her list of awards in the weeks to come.

Three key senior hitters on the team were honored and will leave big shoes to be filled.  Laura Crumrine was named Outstanding Hitter, and award she shared with Leslie Rodriguez of Pecos.  Rachel Miller, who had 33 kills and 44 blocks in the district, made first team, and Kiley Blalock was an Honorable Mention All-District pick.

"Laura had a storybook season," said the head coach.  "She came on late and just pummeled the ball.

"When they were in eighth grade, Rachel was a manager and Laura and Kiley barely saw the floor because they were so uncoordinated.  Their freshman year, they almost quit.  We had to talk them into playing.  Now they have gone to two state tournaments.  They have came so far.  It is really fun to see girls like that and the improvements they make over the years."

Whitney Mitchell was first team All-District, and award she earned by quietly doing the little things to help her team win.  Another unsung hero, Lyndi Cypher was named Outstanding Defensive Specialist on the All-District team.

"Lyndi came on strong," Dominguez said.  "She learned to handle that outside angle.  She did not get a lot of glory, but she came up with digs and made plays when we needed her to."

Mitchell's value to the team is hard to define.  She played dual roles as setter and server, and did both well.  She became more of vocal leader this season.

"She kind of came out of her shell," the coach added.  "She played so smart, I would sometimes get mad at her because Laura or Brittany would be on a roll and she would set for someone else.  She was right, though.  She was mixing it up and keeping the defense off balance."

Mitchell now has the good fortune to participate in two state volleyball tournaments and one state golf tournament with one or more a possibility next spring.

A surprising star in the last two weeks was Emily Speed, a second team All-District choice along with Trisha Clements.  Speed served the ball as good as anyone on the team in the playoff run, especially in the two games at the regional tournament in Lubbock.

Clements played at her best in the last three weeks.  The only junior on the team, she seemed confident and aggressive in San Marcos, and will be the bright spot for the future.

As will Swarb, the sophomore named to the first team by the coaches.  The Swarb to Hughes connection will be a thing of beauty to watch for Lobo fans for the next two years.

Dominguez believed the younger girls learned a lot of lessons from this year's team, most of all their competitive nature.

"Even those freshman and sophomore girls were in tears after the game," she said.  "They wanted to win so bad.  This group and last year's laid the groundwork and we have good potential all the way down to junior high.  It was great that those younger kids saw the state championship.  That is where we want to be, to hit it like Wimberley, to jump-set the ball like those girls did, to play like a team the way they did.  I have no doubt that our girls are going to be ready to go to work to get to that level."

2003 All District Volleyball Team

The Road to Excellence
    Second place finish in Lone Star Cup, volleyball run bog stories in 2003
        By Dave Poynor, Staff Writer -- Monahans News -- January 3, 2004

The best ever overall sports performance, a magical volleyball season, and the completion of the Return to Dominance in Lobo football topped the local stories for the year 2003. 

As the New Year opened, awards were still coming on for the individuals who starred for the previous season's successful football and volleyball playoff runs.  Freshman Brittany Hughes got statewide recognition in helping the volleyball team get back to the state tournament, as did senior all-everything Kristien Hall.

Loboes celebrated the regional-semifinal success at the annual football banquet.  Ronnie Robledo was named player of the year, as well as team captain.  The three other captains voted in by their peers were Noah Miles, Leland Walker, and Andrew Galvan.  Robledo and linebacker Ben Swanson were voted in by the Texas sportswriters to the All-State Honorable Mention team.  The high point of the banquet was an emotional award given to MWPISD valued employee Nancy Upchurch for her contributions to football.

The end of the Lewallen family run in MHS swimming happened in Austin.  Ethan Lewallen, on a tear all season, broke several records on the way to the state swim meet.  Fellow Loboes Zac Vaughn, Brandon Nichols, and Ryan James qualified in two relays with Lewallen at Austin.  On the final day of the meet, Lewallen became the first state meet medal winner in school history with a second place finish in the 50 meter freestyle event.  It was a proud moment for second year coach Jay Thomas.

Meanwhile, improvements were showing in both Lobo basketball teams.  Chad Smith's girls finished second in the district before bowing out to Sweetwater in the playoffs.  Smith was not too upset though, because he knew the winner had to play the number one team in the state.  Canyon blew out Sweetwater by more than 50 points en route to a state title.  Smith was pleased with his team, and fans were seeing a definite improvement in the program.

The boys' team made the playoffs, and like the girls, fell to Sweetwater in the first round.  The but story was the end of coach John Curry's career.  A true legend in Texas basketball, Curry retired from the sport like he did everything else, quietly and with class.  His replacement, named later, was T.C. Willis, Curry's number one assistant.  

The spring sports started in early winter with good success on the links.  The Lobo boys showed exciting promise by playing at the top of some big school tournaments.  The would go on to blow away district 4-3A and finish a dramatic comeback on the second day of regionals to make the state tournament.  Derek Jordan, Braxton Brin, J.W. Burnett, Bobby Burkholder, Joe Joe Birdwell and Isaac Nabarette went on to win a medal for the first time in 30 years.

The girls' team in a rebuilding mode after losing four seniors, made remarkable strides under coach Becky Hix.  There qualifying for the regional tournament was more than a pleasant surprise, and left Hix excited about the 2004 season.

Lobo softball, quickly becoming a dynasty, blitzed through the district under new coach Amy Wilson. The girls made it to the regional semifinals before falling to Kennedale at Abilene.

The Lobo baseball program continued it's winning ways, starting early by taking the Sandhills Tournament championship for the second straight season. The team would go on to win an unprecedented fourth straight district title and knock out Borger and rival Lubbock Cooper in the playoffs. when their season ended with a loss to Abilene Wylie in Snyder, Coach Arcadio Rivera said goodbye to the Seniors who were the best baseball class to come through.

Two locals, Jessica Butters of Monahans and Lacy Vasquez of Grandfalls-Royalty qualified for the state Power lifting championships in April. Both girls finished well, and both return for the next season.

Christy Gatzki was the only Lobo tennis player to make the regional tournament, but for the second straight year was an agonizing third place finisher.

Lobo track, with the high hopes after winning the prestigious West Texas relays early, finished disappointingly.  Grade problems, miscues, disqualifications in relays, and bad luck left to teams out of the state track meet.

The single track and field bright spot was pole vaulter Jenna Fann. She went 10'6" at regionals to break her own meet record and jump 10'9" at Austin to win a silver medal. The sophomore quickly set her sights on the gold for her remaining two years.

The biggest story of the summer was the release of the final UIL Lone Star cup point totals. Monahans' 54 points tied them for second place with Wimberley, six points behind the champions Canyon in 3A. With most of the top ten teams in the state in all divisions rich school east of I-35 the MHS achievement was a tribute to hard working educators, students, and volunteers from the community. In a town very little good news economically, it was a fine finish to a historic school year in sports.

Kristien and Patty Hall got a chance to be together on the volleyball court for the final time, each voted in to the coaches' All-Star game. It was a final celebration to their years together on the court.

The fall season rolled around with volleyball expectations higher than ever. the MHS girls delivered, winner tournaments early and obliterating each district opponent in unheard of fashion. Faced with the tough Denver City challenge at the regional finals, the team responded with their best play of the year and earned a trip San Marcos for the second straight year. at state the
Loboes beat Caldwell to make the championship game, but had the dad luck of drawing the beat team in Texas. The Wimberly defeat was a tough one, but the seniors left the floor with the pride of a n entire town.

Lobo Football 2003 was a whole different deal. Coach Larry Hanna and his staff made a bold decision in January and scratched the Wing-T offense. Their new scheme was a shotgun spread along with a no-huddle offense. Although it was ugly at times, including the halfway point of the season, the team bounced back with an incredible 35-34 win over top-ranked Greenwood. The Loboes went on to win an undefeated district championship, a rarity in Monahans.

Grandfalls coaches Lisa and Clint Lowry continued to work their teams hard with slow improvements. Although still very young, both volleyball and football teams showed sing of improvement, and each team could have a change at district titles. 

As the year ended, the MHS championship form continue. Both Basketball teams showed signs of improvement, and each team could have a chance to district titles.

With the spring workouts around the corner, each and every sport the Loboes compete in could produce big success. Already fans are looking ahead to a 2004 that could produce a UIL Lone Star Cup championship.