It’s impossible to mention the Bayfield High School volleyball team without bringing up Kirstie Hillyer, but new Wolverines head coach Terene Foutz is trying to build a balanced attack in 2013.
It’s worked out for everyone.
Hillyer still leads the team with 59 kills, but seniors Katy Funkhouser, Jenna Sirios and Tessa Powell have more than 17 apiece for Bayfield, which is 6-0 heading into Tuesday’s home opener against Piedra Vista High School.
“It’s taking a lot of pressure off of Kirstie,” Foutz said. “Bayfield is not going to be a one-note song this year.”
The team has needed to adjust to Foutz’s new system and a different way of looking at the game, but she’s proud of the progress they’ve made.
Maddi Foutz, a freshman libero, has played beyond her years, directing the Wolverines’ defense and playing as a “serve-receive quarterback.”
Junior setter Suzie Rhodes averages six assists per set and operates with a “forward-thinking delivery,” according to Foutz.
But the anchor, the linchpin, is still Hillyer.
“She’s definitely our finisher. There’s something calming about Kirstie,” Foutz said. “She’s our cornerstone offensively. That’s the burden she loves to carry.”
Hillyer finished with 36 kills in Bayfield’s 4-0 run at the Intermountain League Pre-league Tournament, hitting .434 while Bayfield didn’t lose a set.
“Not dropping a set was the statement. We wanted to put the IML on notice that we’re back,” Foutz said. “We don’t plan on giving up the league title.”
Before they can defend their crown properly, however, the Wolverines open their home season against Piedra Vista, which swept Gallup in its opening match Sept. 3.
“Ron Becker runs an outstanding program,” Foutz said. “He’s developed one of the most amazing commitment-loaded programs in our entire region. Kids will play to the death for him.”
After playing on the road for the season’s first two weeks, the Wolverines are excited to play at home in front of their family and friends for a change.
“It means the world to them,” Foutz said. “They’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
