Bayfield volleyball justified its CHSAANow.com Class 3A ranking – from a preseason No. 10 up to No. 8 on Monday – with a 25-20, 13-25, 24-26, 25-20, 15-11 road victory over Piedra Vista on Tuesday, somewhat overshadowing former PV libero Rebekah Eaves’ return to Farmington as the Lady Panthers’ head coach.
Coming off a difficult fall ’21 in which the varsity finished 0-10 in NMAA District 2-5A play and just 5-18 overall under Hazel Jackson, much enthusiasm was attached to the arrival of Eaves (a 2017 PV graduate), fresh off completing her collegiate career in Oskaloosa, Iowa, last fall as a defensive specialist for NAIA member William Penn University.
One of her WPU teammates was former Piedra Vista outside hitter Alicia “Bebe” Jaquez – originally a Kansas Wesleyan University commit, whereas Eaves played a juco season at Arizona Western College – who played her final collegiate campaign last fall with the Statesmen. WPU’s season ended in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Statistics for Bayfield and Piedra Vista had not been reported by press time.
Up next, Bayfield (1-0, 0-0 3A Intermountain) will travel for a nonleague test Friday at 3A Western Slope Leaguers Delta. DHS is 2-0 overall after a season-opening sweep last Friday at Grand Junction High School, followed by a 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-15 home win Tuesday over 4A Montrose.
BHS will then venture farther north the next day for a long-awaited showdown with 4A Palisade – the squads’ first meeting since the Lady Bulldogs pulled out a wild 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 15-13 nail-biter at PHS late in the COVID-delayed spring ’21 season.
Bayfield also last saw Delta in ‘21, sweeping the Lady Panthers 25-23, 25-6, 25-18 at DHS.
Piedra Vista (0-1, 0-0 Dist. 2-5A), was scheduled to play at Bloomfield (New Mexico) on Thursday.
CHSAANow.com’s Aug. 22 Class 3A volleyball rankings: 1. University (Greeley), 2. Eaton, 3. Lamar, 4. Platte Valley (Kersey), 5. Sterling, 6. Resurrection Christian (Loveland), 7. Faith Christian (Arvada), 8. BAYFIELD, 9. Liberty Common (Fort Collins), 10. Alamosa.
