The sun was blazing, the sand was hot, and Glenwood Springs High School’s Kaylee Molina was one point away from the biggest win of her young career. One last swing later, the Demons’ senior-to-be could finally call herself a national champion.

Molina, along with Battle Mountain High School teammate Cynthia Oronoa, won the USA Volleyball Beach National Championship in the girls 18U American Division on July 21 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

For Molina, who has been dreaming of playing volleyball at the highest level since she first picked up the sport, the win was a milestone moment.

“This was such a good experience,” Molina said. “Getting to nationals is hard enough on its own, so we just wanted to play our game and play our hearts out.”

The pair went 6-0 through pool play before powering through elimination rounds to claim the title. They had finished runner-up at nationals in 2024, and Molina said that experience helped her and Oronoa keep their composure this time around.

“When we ended up getting second last year, it gave us a lot of confidence in ourselves,” Molina said. “This year, as we kept winning, we could start to taste the medal.”

Molina and Oronoa live more than an hour apart and have only been playing together for two seasons, but their chemistry has been evident from the start, said United Volleyball Club of the Rockies beach coach Jason Obreque.

“When we first put them together, it was like they’d been teammates forever,” Obreque said.

Molina said building a friendship off the court was just as important as the time spent on it. 

“We’ve gotten closer over the past two years, not just letting volleyball bond us, but also bonding outside of the sport,” she said.

Obreque added that the pair often communicate in Spanish during matches and share a cultural connection that brings them even closer.

“I think the fact that they’re both Latinas helped build another level of camaraderie,” he said.

Obreque said the biggest difference this year was how Molina and Oronoa handled the pressure.

“There were higher expectations,” he said. “We’d already been there, so during day three we really focused on the small things and controlling what we could. We reminded them, ‘We know what this feels like, we’ve been here before, so let’s stay in the moment and do the little things right.'”

That steady approach carried them through the final rounds and ultimately to the title.

The championship marks a breakthrough for Molina, who is now drawing interest from collegiate beach volleyball programs.

“I’m just so proud of her,” Obreque said. “Kaylee has exceeded every expectation we had, and now doors are opening because of the hard work she’s put in behind the scenes.”

Brittany Chilson, head coach of the Glenwood Springs varsity volleyball team, said Molina has been a leader for the Demons and a force on the court.

“Kaylee is an incredible athlete,” Chilson said. “She’s extremely coachable, and if she wants something, she goes after it wholeheartedly. All the credit goes to Kaylee and Cynthia for their hard work, and to their beach coaches for helping them develop their skills.”

Molina said she’s learned to take advice from as many coaches as possible and use it to keep improving.

“Hearing different perspectives kind of scratches a different part of my brain every time,” she said. “Every coach has a different view of the game, and when they give you new techniques and ideas, it helps you grow as a player. You just have to be willing to learn something new.”

With one more year of high school and club volleyball left, Molina is determined to keep building on her momentum — and bring what she’s learned back to the Glenwood Springs Demons Volleyball Program.