Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Members of the Portales High volleyball team go through some calisthenics prior to the start of practice on Friday at the RAC. The Lady Rams, under first-year coach Bailey Greenwalt, open the season next Tuesday night at Hobbs.
PORTALES – Bailey Greenwalt is looking for big things in her first season as Portales High's volleyball coach.
Greenwalt, a PHS alum who played for the Lady Rams from 2012-15, moved up from her assistant's role this year after spending the last two campaigns working under Jacki Bailey.
Portales went 9-14 last season (2-4 District 4-4A), but Greenwalt has set the bar pretty high this season.
"We want to have a championship mentality," she said. "I really want (her players) to grow and be students of the game."
PHS opens the season on Tuesday when it visits Hobbs, then welcomes Clovis for its home opener at the RAC two nights later.
Several regulars return for the team this season, including senior outside hitter-defensive specialist Audrey Paden, senior defensive specialist Alondra Acosta, senior middle blocker Abby Ontiveros, junior setter Myleigh Banda, junior defensive specialist Mariah Velasco and sophomore middle blocker Skyler Massey. Paden, Banda and Massey were starters a year ago.
"We have a lot of upperclassmen," Greenwalt said. "I think we really have 12 girls that can play.
"Our end goal is to keep working and keep winning."
District play is likely to be challenging.
Roswell Goddard breezed through district play last year and won the Class 4A state title, finishing 2022 on a 15-match winning streak. All of the Lady Rockets' losses came early in the season to Class 5A Albuquerque-area powers.
Goddard was the second consecutive 4-4A state champion, with Artesia winning in 2021.
"I want us to be an offensive powerhouse," Greenwalt said. "I think if we have a strong offense, we have a good shot at being great."
Cross country – Former Eastern New Mexico University runner Klaudia Szych takes over a program which is struggling for numbers. The Lady Rams have just six runners this fall, while the Rams have only three.
Szych (pronounced "Shook"), a native of Szczecin, Poland, isn't sure what to expect. PHS graduated its top runner from last year in Michael Riess, who finished fifth in the Class 4A boys state meet.
"As long as they improve, I think that's our goal for every single meet," she said.
The Rams and Lady Rams are slated to open the season on Sept. 1 in the Clovis Invitational.
