Colfax senior core has Falcons flying high

For Colfax High School girls volleyball coach Haley Biles, this season feels like the payoff for years of persistence. The Falcons' roster is loaded with nine experienced seniors who have grown together through ups and downs, and who now have Colfax back among the powers in the Pioneer Valley League. "Between nine seniors, you have a lot of experience. You have a lot of heart in general," Biles said. "A couple of them play different sports too, so they just know what it means to be competitive and they like winning. The leadership is super incredible with this group." That leadership has translated into one of the program's best seasons in recent memory. Colfax has already surpassed its highest win total since before the pandemic at 17-5 and with Thursday's 3-0 sweep of Mira Loma finds itself in the thick of the PVL title race in second place at 9-1. Biles said she knew early this team was different. "Our very first preseason match against Placer was a big one for them," she said. "From the get-go, it just showed that they are here to win, and they're here to compete and make it to playoffs and go as far as we can this year." After missing the playoffs the last two seasons, Colfax is starting to look like the Falcons of old and they believe they are built to make noise in the postseason. Biles said Colfax's first league title since 2019 is on its radar. "That's one of our goals," Biles said. "Next week's a big week as far as going for that league title. We're kind of getting back to that pre-COVID type of team. There's always work to do, but they're really committed and come in the gym and work hard every single day, which is great." The seniors know this is their window to make their mark, as they are looking to go on a deep postseason run. "We've been building up for a long time just working towards this our senior year. Last year was pretty exciting because I felt like we were finally kicking off," said senior captain Sophia Smiley. "This year, we started very strong from the beginning and we're making a lot happen. It's been exciting to watch and be a part of." Smiley said last year's team, which finished 9-5 in league but missed the postseason, was the foundation for what this group has accomplished. She also said with the history of success with the program and girls sports at Colfax, many players have grown accustomed to winning and want to bring the volleyball team back to the top. "In a lot of our other sports, we've gone pretty far," said Smiley, who has won two section championships with the girls soccer team and reached the final twice in flag football. "This year, we have what it takes to be going pretty far, too. Those experiences have definitely helped us prepare for that mentally and leadership wise. It's rolling over into volleyball." While there is some pressure to live up to the high expectations they've set for themselves, the Falcons feel motivated to make a splash in November. "I think this is right where we want to be," said senior Ariya White. "There is some pressure, but I think that it's good. We are in a really good state right now." White said she believes one secret to Colfax's success is its chemistry, noting that growing up in a small town playing sports together means the team is very familiar with one another. "With our school and town already being so small, we've been playing on a team together for forever," said White of the senior class. "It's something really special, but also really sad because it's the last ride." White says Colfax is motivated to keep the last ride going just a little longer. Through Thursday night's matches, the Falcons are the fourth-ranked team in Division IV entering the final two weeks of the regular season. Colfax has a chance to split the PVL championship on Thursday when it hosts rival Bear River (26-4, 10-0).