First-Year Coach Claire Rose Has East Mountain Volleyball Eyeing History, District Title

SANDIA PARK, N.M. — The East Mountain High School volleyball team is closing in on school history in Claire Rose’s first year as head coach, riding an 11-6 overall record and an undefeated start in District 5-3A play into the season’s final three weeks.

With a 2-0 league mark, the Lady Timberwolves need just one more victory over their final six regular-season contests to match the program’s single-season record of 12 wins. A second victory would establish a new school benchmark.

A new school record is a secondary goal in comparison to the Lady Timberwolves on the cusp of their first-ever district title.

Rose, who took charge of the program this fall, has guided East Mountain through a demanding slate while establishing early control in district competition. The Lady Timberwolves opened District 5-3A play with back-to-back 3-1 victories over Cottonwood Classical Prep on Sept. 29 and perennial contender Sandia Prep on Oct. 6, positioning themselves at the top of the conference standings.

East Mountain’s six-game closing stretch features three home matches and three road trips, beginning Thursday with a visit to Bosque:

• Oct. 15: at Bosque, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 20: vs. Cuba, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 22: at Sandia Prep, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 27: vs. Cottonwood Classical Prep, 6 p.m.
• Nov. 3: vs. Bosque, 6 p.m.
• Nov. 5: at Cuba, 6 p.m.

Thursday’s road clash against the Bobcats offers the Lady Timberwolves their first chance to reach the 12-win plateau. East Mountain will then return home Tuesday, Oct. 20, to host Cuba.

The Lady Timberwolves enter the final leg of the regular season in prime position not only to rewrite the school record books, but also to claim the District 5-3A championship and bolster their seeding for next month’s Class 3A state tournament.