The Summit High School girls volleyball team is overflowing with talent.

After only having one senior on the varsity roster last season in Sophie Willms, Summit enters the new fall season with six seniors and three juniors on its roster. 

Beyond having a strong core of upperclassmen, the program boasts 38 athletes spread across its three teams — the highest turnout the program has seen in numerous years.

The experience of the girls volleyball team is expected to pay dividends throughout the fall season. The older roster not only provides the team with plenty of leaders, but it also brings a heightened level of in-match experience.

During the 2024 fall season, the Summit girls volleyball program went 4-19 and missed the Class 4A regional volleyball tournament for the first time since head coach Cynthia Durloo began coaching the program in the fall of 2022.

Although the team fell short of its goal of making it to the postseason last year, Summit is confident and primed to secure a regional tournament berth come late October. Two players that will help pave the way to the postseason will be Summit’s senior captains, Saige Heflin and Lizzie Johnson. 

Heflin and Johnson both were part of Summit’s varsity roster last season and played pivotal roles for the team. Heflin played in 56 sets for the Tigers in her junior campaign, recording a total of 43 kills, 12 total team blocks, 88 digs and 16 aces.

Johnson on the other hand, has played in eight varsity sets in her career and has proven to be a valuable member of the program on and off the court. 

Heflin and Johnson will be supported by a talented group of upper and underclassman players, including sophomore Ruby Snyder, who is poised to make a major impact in just her second varsity season.

As a freshman, Snyder played in 49 total sets and recorded 46 kills, 23 total team blocks, 21 digs as well as 12 aces. Sophomore Reese Melby and freshman Taylor Wagner will be the two other underclassmen on the varsity roster this season, displaying the team’s extended depth. 

“The younger players are really good and I think there is a bunch of potential,” Johnson said. “It’s super fun to meet all of them and see all of them grow. We are building the program a lot.”

“I am really excited that I am able to (be a leader for the team),” Heflin said. “See them grow as athletes, but also as people, too.”

Other role players throughout the season will include junior Kyla Salthouse, junior Torie Durloo and senior Zoie Davis-Teets.

Summit showcased its firepower during a scrimmage against Conifer High School on Thursday, Aug. 21.

Although the match did not contribute to the overall team’s record, the opportunity allowed athletes to settle into their roles on the team as well as allowed Durloo to get a solid look at her team. 

“I think it went well,” Johnson said. “There were definitely some struggles here and there, but I feel like overall, it was super helpful for us. We started to get in a groove at the end, and I feel like that is super helpful that we did it and it is going to be super beneficial.”

Like many Summit athletic programs, the girls volleyball team will take on a robust slate of 4A Western Slope league games. With every league opponent appearing twice on the schedule, Summit’s approach will be to prepare for each team individually before hitting the court.

“We know the teams that we are playing and we know their strengths and their weaknesses,” Johnson said. “We are going to play to those.”

With a goal of returning to the postseason, Summit plans to lean on its strengths and keep communication a key focal point throughout the season.

“We are going to play to our strengths,” Johnson said. “There are definitely a couple of things we need to focus on. We are working on communication, bonding and being together as a team.”

Summit began its season on Tuesday night, Aug. 26, when it traveled to West Grand High School in Kremmling.

Summit fought hard throughout the match, but fell to West Grand in five sets, 3-2. Davis-Teets led the team in the loss with 10 kills and 15 digs. Additionally, Melby ran the offense, racking up 27 assists.

Although the team was not able to attain the win, Durloo was happy about how the team showed up, played hard and was willing to learn.

The Tigers will now prepare for its first tournament of the season from Friday, Aug. 29, through Saturday, Aug. 30. Summit will play its first home game against Evergreen High School on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m.