Energy was high, and the action was back-and-forth all night, but the Durango Demons just didn’t have enough to overcome the Bayfield Wolverines.
Durango High School opened its volleyball season with a match it has anticipated all offseason against regional non-conference rival Bayfield. After falling behind 2-1, the Demons forced a decisive fifth game with a 27-25 win in the fourth, but the Wolverines had all the answers for DHS in the fifth to win 15-10 and secure a 3-2 victory.
“There was great energy in here,” DHS junior outside hitter Maddie Robertson said of the atmosphere inside the Durango gymnasium. “Our team really picked it up and pushed Bayfield. It was a great game overall.”
It was the season opener for the Class 4A Demons (0-1) and the second game of the year for Class 3A Bayfield (1-1). With communication on the floor still coming together in the season’s first contest, DHS second-year head coach Colleen Keresey was pleased with the way her team performed.
“It was a great way to start out the season. I’m excited with people that I threw around in there and players coming off the bench, especially,” Keresey said. “I know we are excited to get better, and then to see them again in Bayfield next month.”
DHS won the first game 25-13 behind dominant serving from Robertson and company, but the Wolverines answered by winning the second game 25-18 and the third game 25-17, as the Wolverine passing improved throughout the match.
Needing to rally and defend their home court, the Demons came back to win the fourth game 27-25. DHS led 16-10 early, but Bayfield riddled off six winners in a row to tie the match and put pressure on until DHS could finish the fourth game off.
“That game was fun. It was competitive, intense and fun,” Keresey said.
But BHS simply was too much for DHS in the fifth and decisive game, taking it 15-10 to secure the match victory.
Bayfield star senior Kirstie Hillyer finished with a match-high 21 kills, and Bayfield sophomore Maddi Foutz tacked on 15 more kills.
Keresey said her team did the best it could against the 6-6 Hillyer.
“She obviously is effective in the sport of volleyball. We tried to just focus on us having six players we feel are fully capable of maybe beating one person or the front row (Bayfield) has,” Keresey said. “We tried to always have hands on her, but we knew she would get her kills. We tried to just shake it off when she did.”
Keresey was happy with her team’s serving as well as its ability to return serve. She said that has been a key focus in practice.
“The serve-receive did a nice job, and, when we had opportunities, I thought we did a good job putting the ball away.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
