During the school day, Palmer Ridge's auxiliary gymnasium is used for three yoga classes.
As it turned out, the featureless white room was exactly the sort of place the Wolverines needed to find and align their "chakras." They finally did that, via a 25-16, 25-17, 25-14 sweep of Pueblo South.
"Our energy has really been like a roller coaster lately," said senior setter Courtney Bayles. "We're all kind of on a roller coaster with each game, and I think that if we come together as a team, and start playing as a team, then we can make it to that next level if we want to."
That next level did not include taking the Palmer Ridge Invitational title, which the Wolverines won in 016.
Facing the Fightin' Colts last Saturday with third place at stake in the Bronze bracket, Bayfield broke loose with an immediate 6-0 burst in Game 1, and then sealed the deal with an 8-1 run in Game 3-highlighted by three booming kills by sophomore Mavis Edwards, one by soph Tess Phelps, and a perfect Bayles set dump before PSHS junior Baylee Brock sent a desperate free ball wide on match point.
Fresh off losing a 16-11 lead to 5A Colorado Springs Doherty in a tiebreaking third game during semifinal action, BHS trailed South just once-at 2-0 in Game 2, in finishing the 2017 regular season 13-10 overall.
"We were just trying to persevere through all the games," senior middle Ashley Mottin said. "We were definitely very tired."
"It's been kind of a rough day," agreed Bayles. "We just wanted to win at least one up here."
Fifth place in the 4A South Central, Pueblo South (3-20 overall) went winless in four Invitational matches, but came as close to seeing a Game 4 against BHS as 11-10 in Game 3 when Brock bashed a kill. dwards, however, answered in turn and senior Kylee McCoy spiked another one down seconds later.
PSHS then managed a point, but Mottin countered with a kill and the Intermountain League runners-up were off and running towards victory, with the aforementioned closing rush triggered by an ace courtesy of recent varsity call-up Lana McKee.
"We had a lot to prove at that tournament as defending champs," Bayfield junior libero Tymbree Florian said. "And, after this, I think we're going to be more motivated; we're going to fight hard."
The Wolverines did precisely that from the outset, dominating 4A C.S. Discovery Canyon to the tune of a 20-10 lead in the 8:30 a.m. test's first game before drastically losing power and ultimately falling 25-18, 13-25, 12-25 to 6'5" junior middle Ashten Prechtel and the Thunder.
Vastly improved over last season, 5A Colorado Springs Coronado would later conclude Pool D play, defeating BHS 25-14, 25-13 and relegating the 12-team tourney's only Class 3A crew to third-tier status for the day's final phases.
And though able to take Game 2 from Doherty, a 20-25, 24-19, 22-25 loss left Bayfield to battle, effectively, for 11th place overall.
"Our energy level needs to change, and our competitiveness," Bayles said, looking ahead to Region II work on Nov. 3. "We're just trying to find teamwork that will make us push over that edge."
"We need to practice hard this week and prepare ourselves," agreed Mottin.
Traveling north to Parker, Colo., the Wolverines will first face Florence, 15-8 overall and an eighth-place 5-7 against both Tri-Peaks League divisions during the regular season. BHS will then go head-to-head with event-hosting Lutheran, 20-3 overall and a first-place 9-1 in the Metro League.
PALMER RIDGE INVITATIONAL FINAL PLACINGS: 1.Monument Palmer Ridge, 2.Colorado Springs Coronado, 3.Denver Mullen, 4.Arvada Ralston Valley, 5.CS Air Academy, 6.CS Discovery Canyon, 7.Broomfield, 8.Longmont Silver Creek, 9.CS Doherty, 10.Montrose, 11.BAYFIELD, 12.Pueblo South.
