[ad_1]
Ava Pritz is ready to hire Mercedes Martinez. (Andy Morales / AllSportsTucson)
Catalina Foothills played just 10 games last fall in a season full of COVID concerns and complications. The Falcons managed to play everything through to qualify for the postseason for the second time since 2016, but thanks to a few positive cases that resulted in Canyon View being abandoned in a very winnable game at home.
6-foot-2 senior Lauren Rumel still dominated the net last fall, earning the First Team All-Southern Arizona award days after announcing her commitment to play indoor volleyball for the University of Arizona, with an outdoor shot of playing beach for the Wildcats . Rumel put together an amazing junior year with over six kills per set in these 10 matches, and she hit that mark on Tuesday night at home against Tucson High.
Rumel racked up 12 kills in a sweep over the Badgers (25-9, 25-12, 25-8) while resting in the third set to gain gaming experience for his teammates in the first game of the year. Senior colleague Ava Pritz distributed 28 assists to win and collected five aces. Senior Ella Parsons added seven kills.
LINK: FREE GAME PHOTOS
Tucson was run by Junior outside Aquarius Thomas and second setter Noelani Valencia and Ruthie Wnek. The Badgers reached the play-in round under the head coach of the first year Keira Perkins last fall and the program hopes to make the playoffs again, even though only three seniors with a daunting schedule that includes all of the top teams in southern Arizona stand a chance to beat the reigning 4A in the TUSD Invitational taking place this Friday -State Master Salpointe to play Saturday in the badger hall.
“We have a very young team this year with Aquarina at the top and I think we are going to have a great year. We played an amazing team here tonight,” said Perkins. “We invited 16 of the best teams to play in our gym this week including foothills and as you’ve seen we have some things to work on, but in some ways this was the best that could have happened to us because it” helps us learn this early in the season. “
LINK: TUSD AND CHRISTIAN INVITATION SCHEDULE. THE DESERT
The Badgers will travel to Sunnyside on Wednesday night and Catalina Foothills will host the Lancers that same evening. The Falcons will also play at the Tanque Verde Hawks Invitational in late September and the Badgers will visit Phoenix to play at the Goldwater Volleyball Festival.
University of Arizona signs Lauren Rumel of Catalina Foothills is a top contestant for the 2021 Southern Arizona POY. @ArizonaVBall @ArizonaBVB pic.twitter.com/iLcgJK1Tj7
– Andy Morales (@ AndyMorales8) September 1, 2021
FOLLOW @ ANDYMORALES8 ON TWITTER
Andy Morales was named Best High School Reporter by the AIA in 2014, received the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News Award winner, and has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girl wrestling. His own children have won several state high school championships and have been called to all-state teams. He competed in hockey, basketball, baseball, and athletics in high school and his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the voting member of the Ed Doherty Award in Southern Arizona, which recognizes the best football player in Arizona, and was named a Local Hero by Tucson Weekly in 2016. Andy was named Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019 and is a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
[ad_2]
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/XGU6SM7T4ND6XMX5IQROUZBVFY.jpg "Tucson Veterans Day Parade canceled due to downtown construction")
