The Demon volleyball program started the season with a host of challenges to overcome, including a new head coach and the loss of six seniors to graduation, all while coming off of a losing season from last year. Apparently, the Demons love a good challenge, because they’ve had a tremendous season, with a record of 14-7, as of Nov. 8.

New head coach Ricardo Sanchez, along with assistant coaches Alayna Montoya and Justin Troncosa, have been hard at work patching the holes in the Demon volleyball proContinues Strong Seasongram. The Varsity unit came off of the blocks hitting hard and fast, claiming a tournament championship within the first weeks of the season. They followed that up with several key wins across the state, notably against Albuquerque High, Los Alamos, and Manzano. 

Freshmen JV player Viviane Locke said, “Even though it’s Ricardo’s first time being head coach, he’s doing really good.” 

This season’s strength lies in the varsity team’s front row. Captain Angelina Geissinger reflected on the team’s capabilities and dynamic nature: “We have a lot of front-row strength this year that is backed up by our back row and our setting.” 

The team’s forte may be hitting this year, but it takes the effort and support of the entire team to maintain a record above .500. Angelina echoes this sentiment: “I think everyone makes each other look good, which is why I think we’re such a strong team this year.”

According to MaxPreps, Angelina leads the team with 280 total kills and 192 total digs, freshman Makayla Gonazales has 96 total blocks, and freshman Desiree Martinez has 447 assists. These stats illustrate the balanced talent that the team features. 

The Demons play their last season game against Rio Grande on Nov. 9 and then will likely head to the state tournament at the end of November. But one thing is certain: With the amount of young talent this team has, the Demons will be contenders for years to come.