‘We can go far’: Lady Sand Devils volleyball building momentum

SNOWFLAKE, Ariz.

For a team that got as far as the Elite Eight in its last state playoff run, the Page Lady Sand Devils is motivated to take a step further.

The Sand Devils will attempt that feat with a new class of players.

“We want a top finish,” Page coach Danielle Chee said. “We want to take our region and then go to state.”

In that tournament run, Chee joined the Page program as the co-head coach with Misty Smith. The Sand Devils had won its first two playoff games before they were ousted by Chandler Valley Christian in the 3A state quarterfinals.

“We have some big shoes to fill,” Chee said. “From that team we had move one girl up from the JV team and she sat on the bench. It gave her a glimpse of what’s going on. Other than that, we graduated everyone.”

Despite not playing last season because of the pandemic, Chee said they got an early start to the 2021 season with a summer program.

“We attended all these tournaments, so that we could get that refresher,” she said. “I think that really helped but when we started the season they realized that they’re officially varsity players. Most of them were freshmen on the JV team in 2019.”

The Sand Devils has a dozen players on the varsity squad and most of them are underclassmen.

And while she has a young squad, Chee said they are playing well beyond their years as she has an ample number of players that can contribute.

“I have quite a few that are pretty consistent,” she said.

Some of top players include junior setter Summer Begay, a transfer from Monument Valley, and sophomore hitters Leann Clitso and Sophia Cambridge.

“My expectation for this team is super high,” Cambridge said. “I think we can win state and that’s just my opinion.”

“I hope we can accomplish a lot,” Clitso added. “We have our eyes on state and we just need to keep pushing.”

The Sand Devils took part in the recent Snowflake volleyball tournament, and they had some mixed results.

They finished second in their pool behind Thatcher to reach the gold bracket. The Sand Devils were eliminated following a pair of 2-1 losses to Tuba City and Blue Ridge.

Earlier this season, the Chee-coached team took part in the Greenway tournament playing against 4A and 5A competition.

“It was OK,” Chee said. “It was kind of like a wakeup call because a lot of the girls that we played were tall, and they were quicker than what we’re used to.

“We were coming off a COVID year and we made the gold bracket, which is not bad,” she said.

Cambridge said playing in that tournament was a good experience for them.

“Those girls were definitely a lot quicker, but we kept up with them,” she said.

The Sand Devils are scheduled to play in one more tournament as they are headed to the Epic Tourneys Volleyball Invitation in the Valley. They are pooled with St. Michael, Anthem Prep and Nogales.

Following that tournament, Page will open the 3A North Region with Monument Valley, a team that improved to 9-0 after its three-game sweep over Farmington on Tuesday.

“I feel like it’s anybody’s game,” Chee said of the conference race. “There are a number of teams that can win it but keep an eye on us.”

Like her coach, Cambridge is feeling optimistic about their chances.

“I’m excited about the rest of the season,” she said. “I have a lot of trust in these girls, and I think we can go far.”

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