Extending their CHSAA Record Book-worthy run of regular-season, league-play success, Bayfield volleyball began Intermountain League play Saturday with a 25-8, 27-29, 25-11 and 25-23 road victory at Monte Vista.
The win was BHS' 57th consecutively during IML regular-season work since 2007.
But upcoming opponents-currently garnering more statewide attention-will pose credible threats of halting the incredible streak.
First was seventh-ranked [CHSAANow.com Class 3A poll, Sept. 28] and senior-led Alamosa, which went into Thursday's test at AHS 8-0 overall (2-0 IML) after sweeping Trinidad (2-11, 0-3 Tri-Peaks) on Tuesday.
Results, unfortunately, were unavailable at press time. The Wolverines next play tomorrow at Durango (6-5, 1-2 4A/5A Southwestern), beginning at 2:30 p.m., and the team's Pink Digs for a Cure match follows Oct. 6 when Pagosa Springs-currently #10 in this week's rankings-visits BHS Gymnasium to resume IML action.
In Monte Vista, junior Maddi Foutz finished with 16 kills against six errors in 37 attacks, and sophomore Kylee McCoy put down 11 with five in 31 as Bayfield improved to 5-6 overall, 1-0 IML, while dropping MVHS to 5-7, 0-2.
Junior Taylor Morris smashed another seven kills, and sophomore Jade Pascale five though BHS hit just .182 (45k-21e-132att) for the match.
Sophomores Courtney Bayles (20) and Sydney Gabbard (13) both registered double-digit assist totals while sharing setting duties, and Bayles also bashed four kills with only one error in nine attacks offensively. Junior Miranda Talbot fired a team-high four aces and Pascale landed three.
SIEGE TO THE STANDARD: According to the aforementioned Record Book, the mark for 'Consecutive League Matches Without Loss' belongs to Fowler High School, with 130 straight conquests between the mid-1980s and mid-90s. Lyons' 92 between 1976 and '89 stands second and Flagler's 60 between '91 and '96 third-meaning wins over Alamosa and PSHS would bring Bayfield level in the annals.
BHS' year-by-year regular-season IML performances in stringing together 57 straight circuit wins: 2007-7-1, 2008-6-0, 2009-6-0, 2010-8-0, 2011-8-0, 2012-8-0, 2013-8-0, 2014-8-0, 2015 (post-Monte)-1-0.
(Note: The '08 campaign saw Ignacio join the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League, and the two matches versus the Volleycats that year and the next were not replaced until AHS left the 4A South Central to join in '10.)
After losing at home to Pagosa Springs in late September '07, the Wolverines won their last four IML matches to re-start a rampage against the loop. Amazingly, had BHS not lost to the Pirates, the program's streak would have reached 69 straight (Bayfield went 8-0 during the '06 regular season) after defeating MVHS.
Moreover, during some of those seasons past, the Wolverines flustered Intermountain foes in matches with no bearing on the regular-season standings-for example, 4-0 showings at the 2012 and '13 IML Preseason Preview tournaments-meaning that BHS has actually won at least 65 consecutive total regular-season IML outings prior to this week's matches.
