Plenty aware Tuesday night that Bayfield’s opponent – 5A Farmington – had been facing only top-tier competition to prepare, Bayfield head coach Terene Foutz also knew the Wolverines would visit FHS’ in-town rival two nights later.
Like her players, she didn’t want 5A Piedra Vista getting word that BHS had blown a 2-sets-to-1 lead on their own court.
So when senior Audrey Knapp pounded a particularly vicious kill shot in the fourth set, bringing Bayfield back to 13-5, Foutz got right in her ear to celebrate when Knapp rotated out in favor of junior Avery Shipman.
“We wanted to win and were putting in the effort toward getting it,” Knapp said afterward. “Tanna (Owens) was doing a great job of getting sets where they needed to be, and when they needed to be there. I also think we started to get more openings on the court and started seeing them more.”
FHS senior Jayla Yoder countered Knapp’s kill with one of her own, but the wheel of fortune had already started spinning Bayfield’s way. The Scorps failed to improve upon an 18-10 advantage as BHS incredibly pulled even at 23-23, then reached match point when junior Maeli Quintana served a clutch ace.
Farmington stayed alive when senior middle/outside hitter Linsey Yazzie hammered a kill, but Bayfield then benefited from a failed FHS pass, again putting the Wolverines on match point. Yazzie then cut an attempted kill shot wide and out of bounds into BHS’ bench – finalizing the home side’s 25-21, 13-25, 25-22, 26-24 win.
After securing their third straight victory – while dealing Farmington their third straight defeat – Bayfield increased their hot streak to four by sweeping PVHS 25-19, 25-13, 25-19 inside Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse on Thursday.
“We’re really on a roll with our ballhandling,” Foutz said. “We’re putting our hitters in some strong positions to be successful. For us that was the big story; our pass game was solid and we got our middles going. Our middles are finding some mojo with our setters (Owens, Shipman) and … taking a lot of pressure off our pin hitters.”
Dinged to 9-3 overall Piedra Vista was to next travel on the 5th to Gallup for a meeting with 4A Miyamura
Bayfield (7-6, 2-2 3A Intermountain) will next see action on Tuesday at Montezuma-Cortez (7-13, 1-4), caught in a six-match slide since defeating the Wolverines 3-1 inside BHS Gymnasium back on Sept. 10.
A HOUSE UNITED: Prior to hosting Farmington, all in attendance were treated to a match bringing BHS’ ‘Unified’ student-athletes together with BHS Volleyball players and coaches, plus physical-education class participants for a special match preceding the evening’s junior-varsity contest.
Utilizing an oversized beach ball, its wobbly, unpredictable trajectories generating constant laughs on and off the court, Team Bayfield and Team Wolverines played to a 10-9 outcome – though in the end all shared in the triumph, as inclusion and unity were the event’s ultimate objectives.
“They don’t get opportunities like we do,” Knapp said, “and I’m glad that we were finally able to do something like that. I thought it was really cool.”
“It’s always fun to try new things, right?” said Foutz, who not only helped instruct but also narrated the action. “We want to show those kids … we’re incredibly excited to embrace them and be great partners, be part of a very visible community. We want to be great mentors, and were really proud to take that on this year.”
