Pressuring visiting Centauri throughout a do-or-die third game in 3A Intermountain League action on Friday, but falling just short as the Falcons left with a 25-20, 25-19, 26-24 victory, the Bayfield Wolverines incredibly put forth even more energy the following afternoon.
But, unfortunately, were again left wanting after Alamosa exited BHS Gymnasium on the winning side of a 3-2 outcome. Improving to 4-0 in IML play, the Mean Moose rose to 8-4 overall by logging a fifth consecutive win since losing 3-2 to 4A Pueblo County on Sept. 5.
“They’re learning to contain frustration and replace it with competitiveness, you know? And that it’s OK that not every swing’s going to be perfect, but we expect every swing to go hard, to respond hard under pressure,” said Bayfield head coach Terene Foutz. “I’m really excited about our attack numbers, you know; we really have to learn to terminate off the dig, on those transitional opportunities. We’re swinging clean, but now we have to take it to another level when we put the ball down.”
Senior Kailyn Polzin pounded 19 kills and came up with 11 digs for Centauri in the win.
“She adjusts well to the ball, jumps out of the gym and can reach for everything,” said CHS head coach Ali Miller said. “She’s a great player, she’s working with her team … and I’m very thankful they’re there also.”
Junior Hannah Curtis and sophomore Joselyn McCarroll were each credited with five kills. Senior setters Camryn Wilfong and Saige Hostetter each reached double digits in assists (Wilfong 19, Hostetter 18). Senior libero Jaelyn Jackson logged a team-leading 16 digs, Curtis came up with 11 and Hostetter nine.
“Bayfield came out and you could tell they wanted it,” Miller said. “And our girls wanted it too – it was a good fight! We’re definitely going to take some things we did here and put them into action, see if we can pull ahead a little more next time.”
“I thought we put them under pressure the entire match, and I really liked our bounce-back attitudes. Centauri had very few large point runs against us; we usually responded within one to three points, and hung in there – that’s a really big shift for us,” Foutz said. “We’re starting to produce, so that’s an exciting turn from a week or two ago.”
Bayfield (3-10, 1-3 IML) will next see action Thursday at AHS, then begin the final-month stretch by hosting Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday, Oct. 3. BHS will then pause from league work to visit 5A Farmington two days later.
