Fri Jun 28th, 2013
Joel Priest
Special to the Drum
Categories: Sports, Volleyball
Tags: Adams State University, Bayfield High School, Emily Bauer, Four Corners Volleyball Club, Grass Smash Doubles Tournament, Ignacio High School Volleyball, Kate Treinen, Katherine Rifilato, Lady Cats, Laurel Chappell, Maddi Foutz, Miel Diaz, Montezuma-Cortez High School, Piedra Vista High School, Ron Becker, Samantha Sofka, Sloan Lovett, Sydney Gabbard, Thad Cano
Catching some rays while making plays, Ignacio sophomore Miel Diaz, a prime focal point for Thad Cano’s Volleycats this fall, made the most of a weekend trip to Farmington, N.M., as she paired with Bayfield Middle School eighth-grader Sydney Gabbard to win the Girls’ 16U Division title at Piedra Vista High School’s third annual “Grass Smash” Doubles Tournament, June 22-23.
Playing outdoors on PVHS’s soccer practice field, the duo was guaranteed a minimum four matches — at least one, of course, in the single-elimination final bracket — and truly maximized all theirs.
Bayfield freshman Maddi Foutz and Montezuma-Cortez sophomore Laurel Chappell prevailed in 18U, mid-schoolers Emily Bauer of Bayfield and Kate Treinen of Cortez captured the 14U, PV head coach Ron Becker paired with Lady Panther senior pupil Samantha Sofka to win the Co-Ed class, and the competitive Women’s Open title went to Adams State University sophomore Katherine Rifilato (BHS Class of ’12) and California State-Sacramento soph Sloan Lovett (Durango High ’12).
Splitting her spring semester athletically between Lady Bobcats Soccer and club-level volleyball, Diaz — along with Gabbard — played for Four Corners Volleyball Club’s 14-Colleen (Keresey) team. Cano, meanwhile, mentored one of FCVBC’s two 15s during the similar January-April time span.