Any elementary-schooler could tell you: Every slide ride must end.
With this weekend’s ever-competitive Lewis-Palmer Invitational looming, Christiana Sutherlin knew Bayfield volleyball’s three-match slide had to stop. With one last motivated kill shot Tuesday, the emerging sophomore secured the Wolverines a hard-earned home – and 3A Intermountain League – win.
“We really needed this,” she said, grinning after a 25-15, 25-13, 25-13 sweep of Montezuma-Cortez.
“I really like those tournaments. We get so much game play and really get to work together,” she continued, looking ahead to the trip to Monument. “And there are tough teams; they’re really going to test us. So I think if we can figure out how to play good up there it’s really going to help us with the rest of our league season.”
“We talk a lot about being effective and learning from errors,” head coach Terene Foutz said. “So we’re OK with some unforced errors right now because the kids are learning to put their game together. Experience helps with that.”
Senior Kody Rey was intimidating from the service line in Game 1. She served three aces that were complemented by three Sutherlin put-aways and all but gave BHS a 1-0 match lead. Rey held serve from18-14 to 24-14 before eventually serving into the net. M-CHS, however, failed to capitalize as senior Brooke Romine netted the ensuing serve.
Bayfield (2-3, 1-0 IML) raced out to a 6-1 lead in Game 2, powered by a Kenasea Byrd kill and a Bailey Martinez ace. The Panthers (3-2, 0-1) managed to close within four points, but the Wolverines, fueled by a lengthy Martinez serving spree, widened their advantage to an imposing 19-9.
M-CHS skipper Caroline Glover called timeout after Sutherlin smacked another kill, but the guests couldn’t profit from the pause. Junior Isabella Tewell soon served out of bounds to bring up game point, and BHS senior Kori Jenkins then aced libero Ashlyn Hall to put Montezuma-Cortez down 2-0 in the contest.
Panthers senior Madi Carver began Game 3 on serve, but netted – allowing Bayfield to bolt out to a 5-0 lead capped by a kill from sophomore Kambrie Byrd. Tapping into a reserve of energy and enthusiasm, the visitors rallied to tie the score at 7-7 and at 11-11 before BHS sophomore setter Tanna Owens scored with a clever tip shot.
Sutherlin then followed with a spike down the line, and before M-CHS knew what had hit them, Glover was calling timeout with the Panthers trailing 18-11. The Wolverines then outscored M-CHS 7-2 down the deciding stretch.
“Yeah, I love setting Christiana; she’s probably one of my favorite hitters,” Owens said, of teeing up Sutherlin for the clincher. “She just goes hard and is always wanting to put the ball down.”
“But I feel like we’ve all been really working on our passes and our defense,” she said, “to make sure the ball’s ready to be pursued, so we can then have an attack. Be ready to get the digs … and make sure we’re watching where the ball’s going!”
“When we had our serve, we were protecting it; the servers were making their serves so we could get on point runs,” Sutherlin said. “We’re getting good digs and passes to be set, and that really showed; we did a really good job as a team.”
Montezuma-Cortez will next host 4A Grand Junction on Saturday – the day after the Tigers play at Durango.
The L-P Invite, with BHS eyeing a heavy mix of 4A opposition, is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
“The teams will be way tougher,” Owens said. “We’ll have to work hard, keep our heads in the game.”
Also competing in Monument will be IML rival Centauri, 5A schools Loveland and Ralston Valley (Arvada), 4A schools Coronado (Colorado Springs), Holy Family (Broomfield), Montrose, Niwot, Pueblo West, Windsor plus the meet-hosting Lewis-Palmer Rangers, and 3A Platte Valley (Kersey). Lewis-Palmer, Windsor, Niwot, Centauri and Platte Valley are all ranked by CHSAANow.com. Bayfield and Cortez both received votes in latest Class 3A poll.
“I’m very consistent with heavy scheduling; that will not change,” Foutz said. “For Bayfield to realize any kind of regional showing we need to play those teams. We’ve been going hard right out of the gate. There’s some things that only the game can teach them.”
