Spiking Toward Victory

Clara Harris, Lily Ericsson, and Kylee Johnson

October 22, 2025

The Salida High School volleyball team has seen a strong season this far, counting up more victories as the season progresses.

Salida High School volleyball coach, Kristi Spanier, is very excited for this season and is looking forward to the camaraderie and competition that comes with a new season. Spanier spent her high school and collegiate years playing volleyball and basketball as well as running track. She draws from these experiences to help guide the Salida High School volleyball team.

Spanier stated, “every season has challenges and things that are a lot of fun.” Last year, the volleyball team lost many seniors as they graduated, so Spanier explained that “we may have less experience at a Varsity level than we’ve had in the past.” The teams had summer practice and Spanier thinks that “it made a big difference.” The teams are comfortable playing with each other and have built up trust, which is an important aspect on and off the court.

The season started strong with a 5 set win against rival Buena Vista on August 8th. The varsity volleyball team beat Buena Vista in a tight 5th set, with a score of 17-15. Spanier loves when matches come down to a 5th and final set and student athletes get to play under pressure. She elaborated, “it’s always fun to play a 5 set thriller, no matter who it is.” They have had a few close games, with scores of 31-29 and 27-25, which Spanier believes will teach the team to have grit and perseverance.

Kaitlyn Jones, a SHS junior and member of the volleyball team, said that the season has seen strong cooperation in both teams, and experienced a good season so far. “We have strong team connections that are allowing us to run more plays.” Jones explained that her favorite part of playing is “the team dynamic and how we have to work together to keep the ball alive.” She also loves when the team gets to run more plays.

As of October 11, the varsity volleyball team’s overall record is 10-6. The team has had some close matches; some that went their way and others that didn’t.

She loves the enthusiasm from the Salida players and thinks the team is awesome. The team has a hopeful season ahead of them.

About the Contributors

Clara Harris, Co-Editor-in-Chief

My name is Clara Harris, and I am a junior this year. This is my third year in Tenderfoot Times, and I am the co-Lead Editor. I am very excited to be working with the paper again this year! I enjoy reading, writing, hanging out with my dog, baking and I especially enjoy eating my baked goods.

Lily Ericsson, Co-Editor-in-Chief

My name is Lily Ericsson and I am a junior this year. I am one of the lead editors of the Tenderfoot Times Newspaper. This is my third year in Tenderfoot Times. I joined because I enjoy writing and want to strengthen my writing skills. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my chihuahua–Roman, and my cat–Amber, as well as playing bass, reading and doing art.

Kylee Johnson, Staff Reporter

Hello, my name is Kylee Johnson, and I am a sophomore here at Salida High School! I’m a staff reporter for the Tenderfoot Times. This is my first year in the Tenderfoot Times! I really enjoy going around, talking to new people, and collecting information about stories, so I decided to join TFT. I like playing basketball. I’ve been playing basketball for over 8 years now! Another thing I enjoy doing is rodeoing! I’m super excited to join the paper this year and excited for more years to come.