Lady Cats seek repeat district title

CLOVIS — Despite having a senior-laden squad, the Clovis High volleyball team was perhaps a bit of a surprise winner in District 4-5A last spring.

Eight players were lost to graduation, so the Lady Wildcats (8-5, 5-1 district in the spring) have some rebuilding work on their hands.

“The two things we did well (last spring) were passing and blocking,” veteran CHS coach Darrel Ray said. “When you have people like (Carlsbad junior outside hitter Gracie) Eckles and (Hobbs sophomore OH) Aniya Joseph, you’d better do a good job of blocking.”

The Lady Cats open the season against Artesia in a 6 p.m. match slated for Thursday at Rock Staubus Gym.

Top returnees for Clovis are senior twins Mili and Cady Ratledge, both outside hitters, and senior libero Hannah Gallegos. They will take on new leadership roles for the team.

“We lost a lot of seniors from last year,” said Mili Ratledge, who at 6-foot-1 is about six inches taller than her sister. “It’ll be a lot different.

“We want to try to win the district again and play the best we can in each (match).”

CHS saw Hobbs and Roswell High during an abbreviated summer campaign, but not Hobbs.

“I think Roswell got a lot better over the summer,” she said of the lone team to get past the Lady Cats in district play during the spring.

Meantime, her sister split time in the spring between the varsity and junior varsity.

“We’ve gotten better over the summer,” Cady Ratledge said. “We just have to keep working harder. We still have some work to do in terms of communication (on the court).”

Other seniors who should be key contributors include defensive specialist Trinity Clemmons and outside hitter Lucy Shreves. Players up from last spring’s junior varsity include junior setter Ella Howalt, junior middle blocker Paige Harris and sophomore middle Kailyn Jefferson.

The 63-year-old Ray is in his second stint as the program’s head coach. He led the Lady Cats for 10 years before moving on to Friona as an assistant for eight seasons, then returning to CHS in 2020-21.

He said he plans to coach this year and probably next before stepping down.

“I think it’s going to be a learning process,” he said of the upcoming campaign. “We’ve got so little experience at the varsity level.

“I think we’ll be competitive. I just don’t know if we have enough firepower to repeat (as district champions).”