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Bayfield enjoys familiar routine
Wolverines' volleyball team again set to host Class 3A tournament
Herald Sports Writer
The Bayfield High School volleyball team, for the first time in the modern era of state volleyball playoffs, will host the Class 3A Regional Championships on Saturday at the BHS gym.
Everyone has been so supportive. I'm just so thankful we get to play here at home in front of our crowd, our crazy fans.
- Kelley Rifilato, BHS volleyball coach
"The kids are really excited about it. It seems like all the kids at school are excited about it," Bayfield head coach Kelley Rifilato said before an all-school pep assembly Thursday afternoon.
"People in town are excited, too. They're coming out ... everyone is getting involved," Rifilato said, citing signs around Bayfield backing the unbeaten BHS volleyball team.
"Everyone has been so supportive. I'm just so thankful we get to play here at home in front of our crowd, our crazy fans," Rifilato said, adding that the Wolverines are comfortable in the recent weekly routine that includes intense practices and a day full of tournament volleyball on Saturdays.
Two weeks ago, the Wolverines blitzed through the Intermountain League Tournament.
Last Saturday, the Wolverines blitzed through the District Tournament in their home gym.
This week, the Wolverines will tangle with three other teams in the same all-day, round-robin tournament format in the same gymnasium.
Like last week, the stakes will go up with the talented field in Saturday's Regionals, which will yield two qualifiers for the State Volleyball Championships on Nov. 13-14 in Denver.
Bayfield, 21-0, earned the host designation as one of three Class 3A undefeated volleyball teams. The Wolverines were the fourth overall seed among the 16 teams in regional play.
Joining the Wolverines in Bayfield will be No. 5 overall seed Faith Christian (21-1), No. 12 seed Roaring Fork (20-2) and No. 13 seed Hotchkiss (15-7).
"This is a really tough Regional," Rifilato said of the four teams that bring a combined 80-10 record to the BHS gym. The top three teams in the field - Bayfield, Arvada's Faith Christian and Carbondale's Roaring Fork - only have three losses among them.
"All the teams are good," Rifilato said. "Faith Christian ... they've only lost one match. They are absolutely a very good team." Matches in Bayfield will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, with Faith Christian taking on Roaring Fork.
Bayfield will play Hotchkiss in the second match about 9:30 a.m. (or at the conclusion of the first match).
Faith Christian will play Hotchkiss at 11 a.m.
Bayfield will play Roaring Fork about 12:30 p.m.
The final two matches will pit Roaring Fork against Hotchkiss at 2 p.m. and Bayfield against Faith Christian about 3:30 p.m.
Match starting times are subject to change depending on the outcome of previous matches.
Roaring Fork, the second match for Bayfield, lost only once during the regular season to Coal Ridge (Silt/New Castle). The Rams' other loss came in the District final last weekend to Classical Academy of Colorado Springs, another Regional qualifier.
Roaring Fork also is coming off a big win over Class 4A Western Slope League champion Eagle Valley two weeks ago.
Hotchkiss, the first BHS opponent, qualified for Regionals with wins last weekend over Rye and Grand Valley. The Bulldogs also lost one match to Monte Vista 3-0 last weekend.
Faith Christian, the defending state runner-up, lost only once this year. That came against Eaton, 19-3 and a Regional host again this season. Eaton's region includes Classical Academy of Colorado Springs (19-4), St. Mary's of Colorado Springs (19-4) and Holy Family (16-7).
The other top seeds in Class 3A are No. 1 Colorado Springs Christian School (22-0) and the five-time defending state champion, and No. 2 Valley of Gilcrest (22-0).
Teams in the Colorado Springs Christian region include Monte Vista (10-12), Middle Park of Granby (18-4) and Frederick (17-5).
Teams in the Valley region include Platte Canyon of Bailey (17-5), Platte Valley of Kersey (15-6) and Manitou Springs (12-10).
They all will be competing for the prestigious eight berths in the state tournament.
"These girls are not ready for this to end," Rifilato said of the Wolverines. "This is all those summer hours paying off for them - all the open gyms, the club tournaments, everything." But more than anything, Rifilato said, the Wolverines' place in the Regional Championships is a tribute to their intense focus and their ability to have fun and enjoy the competition.
"They have fun. It's fun for them," she said. "But they want this. They really, really want this." dstrode@durangoherald.com
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