Playing in the deepest region in the Class 1A field, Dove Creek High School made its regional title look like another day at the office.
The Bulldogs required six sets to dispatch a pair of strong programs to make their way back to the state tournament for a second consecutive season.
A year after making noise in the state tournament, just one match shy of a state semifinal appearance, the 25-0 Bulldogs look to enter the 1A state tournament with more to prove this year – hoping to carry momentum from their performance in front of a raucous home crowd at their regional wins.
The Bulldogs knocked off No. 17 Flatirons Academy in the regional opener, 25-21, 25-13, 25-21, then swept past No. 9 La Veta 25-17, 25-19, 25-18 in the final match to celebrate a regional title on their home floor.
“This is a huge victory,” said senior Trista Barnett. “Getting to play the No. 9 team in the state and beat them in three is a great feeling.”
To say that the Bulldogs have been dominant would be an understatement; head coach Lacey Murphy’s squad has dropped a total of five sets all season.
“They put all the pieces together,” said Murphy after her team's domination of the regional, “I think they’ve been waiting for a game like this, and they’d been really excited for the postseason.”
“We were covering our blocks, we were actually hitting, digging, all really well,” added Barnett. “That’s the best I’ve seen our team play – we’re ready for State now.”
Junior Kalie Gatlin provided a spark from her setter position.
“We can read her really well with her passes,” said sophomore Ralynn Hickman. “She’s a big asset to our team.”
“She can set up to where you can get a kill with good passes,” added Murphy. “You can have all the good hitters you want, but if you can't get them the ball, that doesn't do you any good.”
The last time that the Bulldogs won more than 25 matches, they played in the state semifinals in 2013 as part of a 26-1 season, falling to eventual champion Fleming.
In spite of their unbeaten record, the Bulldogs fell in state rankings late in the season, giving Dove Creek a bit of extra motivation heading into the regionals.
“I think they feel like they have a point to prove to the rest of the state. They wanted to make a statement that we are as good as we look,” added Murphy.
Dove Creek will join a field of 12 teams in the 1A state bracket to be competed over the weekend of Nov. 10-12 at the Denver Coliseum. The Bulldogs will open their state tournament run as the No. 8 seed, with a rematch against No. 9 La Veta on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 a.m. The winner of the match will face defending state champion and top-seeded Merino about 2 p.m.
State semifinals will be competed Saturday afternoon, with the title match set for 6 p.m.
“We're really excited,” said Hickman. “We hadn’t won regionals in a long time, so it shows what we can do as a team.”
