After a rough-and-tumble early season schedule that has featured defending champions from multiple classifications, the Bayfield Wolverines already are battle-tested for the playoffs.
Bayfield, which lost its season-opening volleyball match to Piedra Vista, beat the Panthers on Tuesday night in Farmington 3-1 – 25-13, 26-24, 18-25, 25-18 – to improve to 6-2 this season.
What was the difference this time around, two weeks later.
“We served tough,” Bayfield High School girls volleyball head coach Terene Foutz said Tuesday night. “We kept the pressure on.”
Foutz credited Emily Bauer and Maddi Foutz for their serve-receive game.
“(Tuesday night), both of those first contacts helped,” coach Foutz said.
The early season schedule helped, too.
“It was set as it is, designed to give us an opportunity to learn early, to push hard, to play at a championship level,” Foutz said. “And Piedra Vista plays at a championship level.
“It was a great match.”
Kirstie Hillyer led the Wolverines with 22 kills, and Maddi Foutz led the team with 16 digs.
Suzie Rhodes “did a great job of distribution,” coach Foutz said. “We had four attackers within one kills of each other. She did a great job of holding their middle blocker hostage and freeing up our pin hitters.”
BHS next will host Farmington at 6 p.m. Sept. 16.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
