The Durango High School volleyball team beat Bayfield at BHS earlier this season.
On Tuesday, the Wolverines paid the Demons back at DHS, denying the Demons a Senior Night victory and becoming the first team besides Durango to win on DHS’ new gym floor. BHS won the match in five games, 25-22, 24-26, 18-25, 25-21 and 15-5.
“It was just a good game,” said BHS head coach Terene Foutz. “We were ready. We studied for this one. I’m proud of our serve and our pass game. Everybody on the floor made contributions.”
“They did a good job of hitting the edge of the line, and we didn’t adjust,” said DHS head coach Kelley Rifilato. “We did some good things, but we started to be transparent. … I just felt we had no energy.”
Game 1 was close early, but Bayfield separated late. With Eva Stewart serving for Durango, Brooklyn Messier made a diving dig, Emma Burns blocked a shot, and eventually Leah Wolf got a kill to put DHS up 2-1.
A Stewart ace extended the lead to 4-1, but then the teams started trading points. Bailey Martinez served an ace for Bayfield. Then Aava Dreger served an ace for Durango. K’Lee Stuffelbeam-Jolly got a kill for BHS, then Sarah Somrak got a kill for DHS.
Kody Rey tied the game at 8-8 with a kill for Bayfield, then Durango took the lead 10-8 with kills from Wolf and Hadyn Neiman. A Durango service error, however, gave BHS the ball back and resulted in a 5-0 run that put BHS up 14-10.
Durango finished the night with 11 missed serves, which Rifilato called, “devastating.”
“I think we shot ourselves in the foot missing that many serves,” she said.
During Bayfield’s run, with Stuffelbeam-Jolly serving, Rey and Tanna Owens got kills and then Kanasea Byrd got two blocks, one assisted by Owens.
Christiana Sutherlin put down some spikes to the floor for BHS and eventually Martinez dumped over a second hit to bring up game point, 24-18. Wolf deflected a spike and Somrak finished the play with a kill to get DHS a side out. Wolf then served a few points, including an ace, to cut Bayfield’s lead to 24-22. The first game ended when Rey put down a hard spike for BHS and Wolf made a diving dig, but Durango’s return got caught in the strings.
Durango won the next two games, but it had to rally to win in Game 2. Kaydence Hunter got the scoring going with a kill for BHS. Durango answered with a Dreger kill, but a Stuffelbeam-Jolly block and kill put BHS up 4-1. Kills from Somrak and Wolf helped tie the game at 6-6, but Bayfield went up 12-7 after a Rey ace and a kill and a block from Byrd.
The Demons tied the game at 14-14; Wolf recorded another kill and Messier held serve for five points. Neither team led by more than two down the stretch. Stewart and Somrak blocked a shot, then Somrak got a kill the next play to put DHS up 17-16. Byrd and Sutherlin got kills for BHS that tied the game, 20-20, and Kori Jenkins gave Bayfield a 22-21 lead with an ace. With the score tied at 24, Wolf spiked a ball to the floor and then blocked a shot with Somrak to even the match at one, 26-24. “Sarah is really coming into her own,” Rifilato said. “She does a great job blocking.”
Game 3 also started close, but Durango took a five-point lead midway, after a long officiating pause, and maintained it the rest of the way.
A Somrak kill tied the game at 6-6, and then Naomi Rowe served an ace to put DHS up 8-6. Down the stretch, a Stewart ace put DHS up 15-10, a Wolf kill gave made the score 20-15, Anna Folk got a kill to bring up game point, 24-18, and Burns spiked home the game winner for DHS.
With their backs against the wall, the Wolverines took an early lead, 3-1, in Game 4 with a pair of kills from Sutherlin, one coming after a nice dig from Myrah Abdallah-Boehm. Messier served two aces to get DHS the lead, 4-3, but then teams were knotted at 5, 6, 7 and 10.
Back-to-back blocks from Hunter, however, helped BHS take a 16-11 lead.
“She had four blocks and they came at the right time – in the fourth and fifth sets,” Foutz said. “That was crucial. She also passed great, and we needed an extra passer on the floor tonight.”
Durango rallied and a Neiman kill tied the game at 19-19. Sutherlin, however, answered with two straight kills for BHS, and Bayfield eventually won the game on a Durango error.
Bayfield carried over the momentum from Game 4 into Game 5, leading 4-0, 9-2 and eventually winning it 15-5. Byrd, Sutherlin, Owens, Hunter, Abdallah-Boehm and Rey all scored points for BHS, and Stuffelbeam-Jolly served the last three points to lock up the win for Bayfield.
“The team effort spoke volumes for Bayfield tonight,” Foutz said.
Sutherlin finished 15 kills and only one error to lead BHS. Byrd finished with 10 kills, Rey had eight kills, and Abdallah-Boehm finished with just under 40 digs.
“I’m just proud of them as a unit,” Foutz said. “I’m really happy how the match turned out.”
Wolf led Durango with 13 kills. She also received 33 serves and finished 39 digs. Messier had 38 digs and three aces. Somrak added 12 kills and four blocks. Stewart had 41 assists and three aces.
DHS seniors Wolf, Rowe, Burns and Mason Rowland were also honored before the game.
Both teams will play in one more tournament to conclude their regular seasons. DHS (13-5 overall) will look to return to form this weekend at the Dakota Ridge tournament. BHS (8-10) will have a week off, then compete at the World Arena in Colorado Springs for the Cheyenne Mountain/Discovery Canyon tournament Oct. 28-29.
