Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.     The Nederland High School volleyball team participated in the Gilpin School beginning-of-the-season tournament on Saturday and came away with a 1-2 loss to the Soroco Rams. The girls were competitive in the first game, hanging in there neck and neck to a score of 11-11. And then the Rams began serving slams into places the Panthers couldn't reach and won the game 25-15.

In the second game, the Ned girls came onto the court with fire in their eyes, wanting to move beyond their mistakes. They took an early lead and then both teams fought hard leading to an 18-18 tie. The Panthers gained ground, didn't make mistakes and took the second game 25-22, cause for a celebration.

The third game was quick and deadly with Nederland not being able to find their groove and Soroco took the game and match 2-1.

It was a disappointing loss but the Panther coach sees it as a learning tool.

When a new head coach is hired for a volleyball team, there is usually a time of adjustment when coach and players are getting to know each other. This isn't the case at Nederland High School this volleyball season.

Shelby Nation, the new head coach, is well-known and well-liked by the Panther volleyball team. She has been there for them for a long time. While head coaches came and went, Nation was a player, a manager, a junior varsity coach, a C coach and an assistant varsity coach and now she is NMSHS head volleyball coach. And she's only 20 years old.

But her experience specifically with the Nederland team makes up for her youth. She says she comes from a volleyball family. Both her mom and her aunt were volleyball players; In fact, both of them played for the Nederland Panthers when they were in high school

"Volleyball has become more than a sport for me,” says Nation. "I can do my best on my worst days. Volleyball is a relief and a passion."

She remembers that the best feeling is when she would get a perfect set and put in straight down on the opponents' court. Or blocking one of the best hitters in the league.

Nation grew up in Flowery Branch, Florida, but has lived in Colorado for the past 11 years, all of them in Nederland until she moved to Boulder to attend CU.

She played volleyball throughout middle school and four years of high school until she graduated in 2011 from Nederland High School. She says that the volleyball team had their last winning season in 2009.

"For the last few years the program has been rebuilding. The most recent coach, Aubrey McLain, has been getting people out, got them interested in volleyball again and now I will show them what good work will do for them."

She says this year’s team is a bunch of girls who have learned to work together. There is no selectiveness, no super stars, and that will lead to a more successful season on the court this year. She has coached many of the girls for the past four years.

Nation is in her senior year at CU studying integrative physiology and plans to become a physical therapist or work at some level in the sports medicine field.

But for now, she is focused on the Nederland girls. "The thing that attracts me to coaching the most is the relationships I build with each and every girl throughout the time we spend together. I love the looks on their faces and the sense of accomplishment they show when they continue to work hard every day and become successful, whether it's mastering a volleyball skill or getting A on a challenging test."

Nation realizes that she is much younger than most head coaches but says that only gives her a better perspective, a unique understanding that helps her coach and develop the girls into volleyball players because she has known them for years. She says she plans to hold herself to a higher standard to prove her ability and that's all to the good.

There are four seniors on the team and a large number of freshmen who have played for a while and have shown they have talent and heart.

The next Nederland home game will be against Dayspring Christian Academy and will begin at 6 p.m.