Unable to rescue victory against CHSAANow.com’s eighth-ranked Montrose three days before, Durango volleyball’s rough ride into the postseason continued Tuesday at Bayfield.
Defensively, the Demons did plenty of work in hopes of slowing the Wolverines’ attack; sophomore Brooklyn Messier came up with a match-best 16 digs, juniors Leah Wolf and Mason Rowland each came up with nine, and freshman Eva Stewart dug six. Sophomore Aava Dreger was credited with three blocks and Wolf two, but in the end it wasn’t enough as BHS dealt DHS a fourth consecutive defeat: 25-17, 25-22, 25-20.
Rowland ripped eight kills offensively for Durango. Wolf spiked seven, and sophomore Sarah Somrak had three as Stewart (10 assists) and Rowland (seven) shared setting duties.
Bayfield senior setter Sage Killough, meanwhile, totaled 36 assists in looking mainly to classmates Annie Fusco and Emily Nelson for big swings with devastating consequences. Fusco smashed 24 kills in 46 attempts with just seven errors – making for an outstanding .370 percentage. Fusco also served five aces. Nelson booked 11 kills at a .250 rate.
Defensively for the 3A Intermountain champion Bayfield, now 12-7 overall and 7-1 in the IML, junior libero Myrah Abdallah-Boehm came up with 11 digs. Fusco logged eight and Nelson, Killough and senior Payton Killough had six each as the Wolverines won their fourth straight outing. BHS will next compete in the Discovery Canyon Invitational on Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Durango also will wrap up its regular-season in tournament fashion, with the Ponderosa Mustang Classic in Parker on Friday and Saturday. The Lady Demons will first face Highlands Ranch-area 5A programs Rock Canyon (9-10) and No. 5 Mountain Vista (14-4) – at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively – on Friday in Pool A.
Durango is 9-9 overall, but dropped to a third-place 4-4 in the 4A/5A Southwestern League after losing Saturday at Montrose, 17-25, 25-19, 26-24, 19-25 and 14-16.
Fruita Monument (16-3, 7-1) won the SWL via a head-to-head sets-won tiebreaker over Montrose. Fruita will also be at the Mustang Classic.
Rounding out the field at the Discovery Canyon Invite will be Montrose (16-3, 7-1 SWL), 4A Erie, 4A Woodland Park, 5A Colorado Springs’ Doherty, Denver’s 4A Mullen, Longmont’s 5A Silver Creek, 3A Colorado Springs Christian and Thornton’s 5A Horizon.
Bayfield will begin Pool D play Saturday morning versus Colorado Springs’ 5A Air Academy and then battle Colorado Springs’ 4A Coronado.
