Monday, Oct 17, 2016 5:01 PMUpdated Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 8:54 AM
Demons’ 8 seniors play all night, win in 5
Durango High School senior Josie Surmeier split the Montezuma-Cortez defense with big kills, and she also led her team in blocks in a 3-2 win on senior night.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
DHS seniors Lauren Biery, left, and Ivy Kirwan of Durango High School celebrate a point while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School volleyball team prepares for a fifth set tiebraker, which the Demons won 15-9 to win Tuesday’s match against Montezuma-Cortez.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School volleyball team while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Josie Surmeier of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Carly Copeland of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Taylor Edwards of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Ivy Kirwan of Durango High School focus on the ball while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Celia Hale of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School senior players and family were recognized for Senior Night before the start of the Montezuma-Cortez volleyball game on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Josie Surmeier of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Celia Hale of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Josie Surmeier of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Ivy Kirwan of Durango High School dives for the ball while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Ivy Kirwan of Durango High School assists while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Taylor Edwards of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Lauren Biery, left, and Ivy Kirwan of Durango High School celebrate a point while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Lauren Biery of Durango High School dives for the ball while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School head volleyball coach Colleen Vogt cheers on her team while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School students cheer on the volleyball team while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Josie Surmeier of Durango High School hits the ball over the net while playing Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
They don’t call it senior night for nothing at Durango High School.
In Tuesday’s volleyball match between rivals Durango and Montezuma-Cortez, the Demons played all eight seniors all night long. After splitting the first four sets, the seniors came out for a do-or-die fifth-set tiebreaker and got the job done to win the match 25-12, 21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9.
Josie Surmeier dominated at the net and led the Demons in blocks and kills. Surmeier was joined by fellow seniors Lauren Biery, Lindsay Brown, Carly Copeland, Paris Cutler, Taylor Edwards, Celia Hale, Ivy Kirwan as the Durango rotation that fought until the final point to prevail on their special night.
“I told them in the locker room that there’s not many teams that have the opportunity to play all seniors on senior night,” Durango head coach Colleen Vogt said. “We’ve been working on jumping out with the lead and finishing because sometimes this season they’ve gotten off to good starts and struggled to finish. They finished strong this time.”
The Demons (8-9, 3-4 5A/4A Southwestern League) started strong, too. After the seniors were honored before the game, they came out and took the first set 25-12, and it looked to be a quick night for the opposing Panthers.
Montezuma-Cortez (7-14, 3-6 3A Intermountain League) fought back in a big way and stole the momentum with a 25-21 second set win behind fantastic play from sophomore Aryelle Wright and junior Tyra Pinnecoose.
“I’m extremely proud of the fight our girls showed,” said Panthers head coach Dave Robinson. “Bayfield and Alamosa are in our league, so we’re used to playing top-quality teams. We knew Durango was good and it would be a tough win to get, but I’m really happy with the effort and attitude.”
The next two sets could have gone either way with Durango taking the third and Cortez squeaking out a back-and-forth fourth. That set the stage for a decisive tiebreaker.
“We wanted to go out with a bang and get the crowd rowdy,” said Surmeier, daughter of Becky and John Surmeier. “They put up a great fight, so I wanted to make sure we pulled through and finish like we’ve been practicing.”
Surmeier was an unstoppable force for much of the evening, and her presence allowed the Demons to grab an 11-2 lead in the fifth. Again, the Panthers came back and cut the deficit to 14-9 before Taylor Edwards put the nail in the coffin. Then the exhausted group of seniors celebrated on their home court.
“When we lose, it’s our fault, and I think, if we play the way we can play the way we know we can play, we can give some teams trouble down the stretch,” said Edwards, daughter of Chantel and Shawn Edwards.
The Demons have a match at 1:30 p.m. Saturday hosting league rival Grand Junction before heading to Bayfield for the Wolverines’ senior night at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
For now, though, the DHS seniors will enjoy their special night.
“This night has been four years in the making,” said Hale, daughter of Kristen and Mike Hale. “Having worked so hard and seeing countless senior nights, wondering if I would be there and finally experiencing it, it was a night I’ll remember forever.”
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