The Bayfield High School volleyball team is still in the hunt for a Class 3A state title.
Bayfield won both of its matches on Friday at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs to reach the final day of the volleyball season, when the championships will be decided in all five classes.
The No. 12 Wolverines beat No. 11 Alamosa and No. 7 Eaton, but both contests needed five games before they were decided.
Bayfield started Friday by beating their Intermountain League foe Alamosa in five games, 25-21, 27-25, 18-25, 23-25 and 15-9, to end the Mean Moose’s season.
“It was a great game of volleyball,” said BHS head coach Terene Foutz.
The Wolverines then won another five-set game, besting No. 7 Eaton 25-22, 26-28, 22-25, 25-19 and 19-17. The coach said she thought it was Bayfield’s first victory over Eaton.
“The girls played out of their minds,” Foutz said. “That was an absolute dogfight.”
Bayfield went on a 9-1 run in Game 1 and held on to win 25-22.
Eaton jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the second game, but Bayfield fought back and tied at 14-14. The game would need some extra points to be decided, but Eaton was able to win it 28-26 to tie the match.
In Game 3, the Reds took the lead at 14-13 and never let it go. Eaton served three straight aces to extend its lead to 18-13 and got the final point with a block, going up 2-1 in the contest.
With its season on the line, Bayfield rallied to take the fourth set 25-19.
Foutz said the Wolverines stayed the course, stayed focused and held it together.
In the deciding fifth set of the elimination game, Bayfield fell behind 11-6.
Bayfield’s serve, however, was on point, and the team also executed on serve receptions to claw back into the set.
Bayfield and Eaton then traded match point four times with neither team ready to acquiesce the game.
BHS senior Annie Fusco, however, got a kill through a double-block to seal the victory for Bayfield.
“It was insane,” Foutz said. “That was probably the most incredible fifth set I’ve ever been a part of.”
Bayfield will now square off with No. 6 Sterling in the quarterfinals at 8 a.m. Saturday. Sterling fell to No. 2 Lamar in five games on Friday, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 22-25 and 15-13.
“We have a very tough opponent in the morning, and we will definitely need to bring our A-plus game, but the girls are all in,” Foutz said.
If Bayfield wins, it will get a rematch with No. 4 University, which beat Bayfield on Thursday at the championships.
University reached the semifinals by knocking out No. 1 seeded Resurrection Christian on Friday 25-17, 27-25 and 25-22.
Foutz said she liked how tough the tournament is.
“The tournament format is awesome,” Foutz said. “It’s such a crowded field of high-caliber teams. Even in the loser’s bracket league and regional champions are going at it head to head; there’s no time to question yourself. It’s go time.”
