As an established high-jumper, she's no stranger to long run-ups prior to takeoffs.
BHS senior Jessie Roukema had to have even amazed herself with her unexpected Game 2 hang time Tuesday night.
Soaring from well beyond the 3-meter line into a spike rivaled in ferocity only by Kirstie Hillyer, Roukema dropped a bomb for a 9-8 lead.
Visiting 5A Farmington never approached the Wolverines again and were swept 25-9, 25-17, 25-17.
Roukema's shot couldn't have been timed any better.
After having been virtually served out of the building in Game 1, the Lady Scorpions took a quick 2-0 lead on sophomore Lexie Jackson's serving, lost it at 3-2 with Lady Wolverine soph Emily Bauer at the line, but regained it at 4-3 and tenuously held it until Bayfield soph Maddi Foutz landed another un-returnable serve for a brief 8-7 advantage. Foutz's four consecutive aces (she would total seven) in Game 1 put FHS down 12-5, and all but down for the greater count.
But momentum was visibly shifting, and Roukema's shot was the first point in a crippling 6-0 spree that provided BHS all the necessary separation they'd need. Senior Suzie Rhodes had ended the fast-moving Game 1 with an ace-booked game point with a dink. This came after Farmington tried mounting a comeback with three points after BHS senior Martina Moreno's block on standout Lydia Byrom (held to 5 kills) had put the Lady Wolverines up 24-14.
Having shown her serving chops with a perfect corner-pocket placement for a 17-7 lead in Game 1, senior Caitlin Phelps started Game 3 with another of BHS' 19 gems. And though the Lady Scorps would never lead or pull even, they showed a pulse when junior middle Brighton Clah downed a kill immediately after Hillyer hammered an intimidating nail off a Rhodes quick-set.
Foutz countered with a vicious kill of her own, keeping Bayfield ahead at 6-4. After a passing error by FHS junior Ashley Flack, the Wolverines were off and running, balancing several uncharacteristic serving mistakes with court-cleaning digging and large doses of Hillyer, Foutz and Phelps.
Hillyer left no doubt on match point, obliterating a Rhodes set to secure the inter-state sweep.
Having previously lost to Arizona's top-ranked Kayenta Monument Valley and Utah 1A's #4 Monticello within a week's time, the Lady Scorps dropped to 2-3 overall.
Up to 7-2 overall with the victory, Bayfield opens Intermountain League play tomorrow at home versus a much-improved Monte Vista. The Lady Pirates (5-5, 0-1) dropped their IML opener at home Tuesday to Alamosa (3-2, 1-0) in four. The Wolverines are now ranked fourth in 3A teams in the state, as of the Sept. 15 CHSAANow.com poll.
Results of Thursday's visit from 5A Aztec, N.M. (5-2 going in), were unavailable at press time.
