STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The Hayden High School volleyball team is starting its season under quarantine. Hayden has been plagued by athletic quarantines more than any other school in Routt County, and head coach Lexi Cyphers hopes the team is getting it out of the way early and won’t have to endure another 10 days apart.

“It’s better to have the quarantine occur in the beginning of the season rather than the middle when we have really great momentum,” she said.

If the players test negative, they can return to play next Thursday, just in time for a home game against Olathe.

Volleyball is one of a few fall sports, alongside soccer and football, that were bumped to spring or Season C.

The Tigers will have a new team this year after losing five seniors who played huge roles on the team. Senior Gracie Day is setting for the first time and juniors Emma Seagraves and Jillian Bennett will both be forces at the net for Hayden.

“My program is a little bit smaller in years past and we lost seniors that were all crucial varsity players,” Cyphers said. “Coming together and finding our rhythm as we are now is something the girls are super excited about.

Soroco is in a different boat, after losing just two seniors, the team is more or less the same. The Rams are led by senior Makinley Parker, who is taking on the captain role this spring.

“I’ve worked with her since last summer in that captain role,” said head coach Jeannie Jo Logan. “It has also come naturally. Not that she has to be loud or anything, they just play better when she’s on the floor with them.”

Soroco is hoping to play well enough to make regionals again. Last year, the No. 27 Rams made regionals, but fell to No. 10 Dolores and No. 15 Clear Creek. The team was happy to get to regionals for the first time in decades and is hoping to get back there this spring.

“They definitely have that on their minds and making sure we stay adaptable so we don’t get so set in to our offense and defense set so much that we get beat,” Logan said.

Last year, Logan said her team didn’t adjust to the top-15 teams’ offense. This year, the squad is hoping to be quicker to react and counter their opponents’ attacks.

With more than a week of practice to work off the rust, the Rams are ready to start the season with a home game on Saturday against Caprock.

It’ll be the first volleyball game the team has played since November 2019.

“It’s surreal,” said Logan. “It’s actually happening.”

Shelby Reardon is the assistant editor at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach her, call 970-871-4253, email sreardon@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @ByShelbyReardon.