Monument Valley looking to be back on top again

WINDOW ROCK

When Rennell Gilmore took over the reins of the Monument Valley volleyball program three years ago she knew there were some high expectations to meet.

Last season she met those expectations as the Lady Mustangs capped a 30-2 season with a four-set victory over Glendale Cactus in the Arizona Division III state title game.

“We had an amazing run last year,” Gilmore said, while adding that there is going to be distinctive new look about the Mustangs this season.

With eight seniors that graduated, MV will feature a fresh cast of characters as they seek out to defend their crown in a division that will field an unprecedented 80 teams. (Earlier this year the Arizona Interscholastic Association approved the new realignment as a dozen of Division IV schools moved up a classification.)

“We have a lot of young fresh faces this year, which is good because change needs to happen,” Gilmore said. “Change will help us.”

Monument Valley returns five lettermen – sophomore Ki-Anna McCabe, junior Hannah Poorman, senior Shayla Yazzie, junior Nekiyah Draper and senior Taniyah Staley – from that championship team.

Add on a very talented sophomore class, Gilmore believes they “should float just fine.”

“I think we’ll surprise a lot of people,” she said.

Nonetheless, the Mustangs is sure to get everyone’s best since they are going to be the ones hunted.

“I think any team we play is going to be a challenge because they want to beat us,” Gilmore said of the pitfalls of being the defending state champions. “There is not one team in the state that wants to beat us. It doesn’t matter if they’re from another division or another section.”

As for the mammoth field of teams in Division III, Gilmore wasn’t too sure if she is willing to embrace it just yet.

“That’s a lot of teams but I am not sure how they are going to justify which teams make the state tournament,” when told the state bracket is going to be a 32-team bracket.

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