Trailing two sets to none Saturday afternoon, the fact that visiting Delta then managed to cut yet another fast-growing Bayfield lead down to just two points, on two occasions, was all the Wolverines volleyball squad needed to remember last year’s early-season encounter, though playing out in their favor, did require a fourth set.
Not so in 2025. Bayfield took care of business with a 3-0 victory.
Rocking brand-new purple jerseys and playing inside a rocking BHS Gymnasium, the home team adjusted quickly and, via a successful center tip shot by senior Grace Barber and subsequent service ace by senior Lauren Rich, regrew its advantage to 11-6, pressing DHS head coach Teresa Baier into using a timeout.
Moments later, after BHS senior Evelette Hollibaugh restarted play by downing a kill and another Barber tip off a front-row player increased Bayfield’s lead to 15-6.
But an ace by senior Avery Shipman made the score 18-8, and sophomore Kieley White Thunder then put the Wolverines’ fans into a frenzy by stonewalling Delta junior Jordan Reed’s attempted spike inside the far antenna. And at that moment the battle was all but won; down 24-14 just a couple minutes later after initially staving off match point, DHS had one last chance to serve but surrendered a kill to Barber – polishing off a 25-15, 25-12, 25-14 sweep.
“Delta did definitely come back in the third set, but I feel like we also cleaned up our side of the net and put the ball away … took back control,” said Shipman, now BHS’ No. 1 setter after learning from and sharing the role with since-graduated Tanna Owens the past two seasons. “My hitters, they were putting every ball down; they were amazing and I’m so proud. We fought a little nerves at first, but it was such a good game.”
Bayfield (1-0 overall) blasted out to a 9-1 lead in Set 1 behind strong Rich serving and attacking by both Barber and Hollibaugh. Baier spent her second timeout of the opening set after a Barber kill put Delta down 13-2, but the Panthers clawed back to 15-9 and convinced BHS boss Terene Foutz to use a well-timed timeout.
Already awarded a starting-lineup spot in her first varsity match, freshman Londyn Hollibaugh then restarted play by putting down her first varsity kill, and DHS would get no closer than 16-11 before the Wolverines went up 1-0 in the match via back-to-back hitting errors by DHS senior Jaden Angelo.
Rich started Set 2 with an ace, Evelette Hollibaugh followed with a kill and Barber then placed a tip – giving BHS an instant 3-0 lead which Delta (0-1 overall) never really threatened. After Baier used a timeout with the guests trailing 8-1, Foutz’s crew gradually grew the gap to 17-7 via an authoritative, and not-often-seen Shipman kill shot.
The Panthers then tried regrouping during another timeout, taken with Bayfield up 20-12, but the Wolverines weren’t to be denied; the elder Hollibaugh placed an ace, swelling the lead to 23-12, and after DHS junior Peyton Huntley netted an attack, Shipman secured BHS a 2-0 match lead by dumping a settable first pass over the strings, catching the Panthers ill-prepared to prevent the ball from hitting the deck.
“We had the mentality of ‘Let’s push forward, not let anyone stop us,’” said Bayfield junior Vivien Clance, who also earned a season-opening start. “We were definitely, like, headfirst and … diving in right away, not wasting any time; we want to host regionals, we want to go to State, and I think this was an awesome start.”
