CB Titans volleyball battles to four match wins over weekend

Homecoming games this Saturday, September 8 at 11 a.m.

Last Saturday, the young Titan varsity volleyball team began its regular season with six-match tournament Cripple-Creek Victor Pioneer Invitational. The varsity roster has three players that had significant varsity experience last year and, while the majority of the players have limited or no varsity experience. The tournament represents approximately 30 percent of the regular season matches so the outcome will have a significant impact on the team’s overall record and standings at the end of the season. All matches in the tourney would be best of three with the ten teams playing multiple matches. 
The Titans started the morning matched up against Elbert, an athletic 1A team from the strong Black Forest League. First match of the season is typically filled with nerves and jitters and this match proved no exception with the Titans missing serves for three of the first four rotations. Once the Titans battled their nerves, they began to battle the Bulldogs and worked together as a team. The Titans chalked up their first victory in straight sets 25-13 and 25-18.
Vanguard Charter Coursers is a 2A team from Colorado Springs. The Coursers are a tall young team and, like the Titans, only have two seniors on their roster. Junior Ali McGuire provided two strong serving runs and with both the Titans and Coursers hustling most of the points provided the crowd with some exciting extended rallies. The Titans held on to win the first set 25-21. Then the Titans lost their focus and lost the second set 18-25. The Titans found themselves in their first three set match of the day and senior co-captain Cassidy Dodds starting with the serve. Demonstrating her competitive spirit, Cassidy rattled off the first 11 points of the match taking the Coursers out of the game mentally and the Titans won the final set easily 15-2.
After a short break and a walk across the street to a new venue the Titans prepared for a match against Peyton Panthers. Peyton, a 2A school from the Black Forest League, provided the Titans a tough loss last year at the same tournament. The young Titans carried the momentum from the first two victories and with another strong serving run by Cassidy Dodds defeated the Panthers 25-17. Then the young Titans lost focus and confidence and allowed a Peyton player to rattle off a nine-point serving run. The Titans dropped the second set quickly 9-25. Despite great efforts by sophomore setter Brittany Barefield and senior co-captain Sara Sherman, the team’s confidence was shaken and the Titans suffered their first loss of the season dropping the final set 7-15.
Colorado Springs Kodiaks, another strong team from the 2A Black Forest League, was waiting in the wings to take on the young Titans. The Kodiaks are a tall, strong hitting team and the Titans stepped up their defense and Sara Sherman took control of the net providing five kills and junior Miki Olesen adding three kills. The first set was a battle with the Titans eventually falling 23-25. Falling behind in the second set the Titans were unable to pull together enough rallies to take the lead and dropped the set and match 20-25.
Crossing back to the main gym, the Titans now 2-2 had two more matches and their fate was in their hands. Would the team quit on themselves and return with a 2-4 record or find their confidence and work together to end the epic day a positive note?
The McClave Cardinals, a strong 1A team from the Eastern Plains, would be the next opponent. As anticipated, McClave a historically competitive team would prove a tough opponent and a battle ensued.  Once again Cassidy Dodds behind some strong defense was able to provide an 8-point scoring run that help bring the first set victory for the Titans 25-19. The Cardinals then found their groove and had two, four-point serving runs against the Titans took the second set 16-25. Another third set provided another opportunity for the young Titans to overcome pressure and nerves.  This time junior Monica Olesen stepped up as the first server final set and her strong serve provided the Titans an early 6-0 lead. Their confidence back and Sherman and junior Suzanna Dumas providing some key blocks the Titans defeated a frustrated McClave team 15-7.
The final match was to be against the Vanguard JV which, on a normal day, should not prove to be a difficult match. But the Titans were beyond a normal day at this time. Having just persevered in an intense three set win, the Titans came out sluggish and disjointed.  Instead of playing as a team, the weary Titans struggled with passing, serving and communicating allowing several balls to drop for easy points. The Titans were down in the first set 21-23 and had to step up or risk dropping the first set. The Titans found that little something way down deep and changed the momentum to pull out a victory 26-24. Now having found their groove and deflated the newly found confidence of the young Courser team, the Titans were able to win the second set 25-13.
A weary Titan team left Cripple Creek with a 4-2 record and the young team gained valuable experience that they can draw upon as they begin league play this weekend hosting a dual match against Cripple Creek and South Park on Saturday, September 8 in Mt. Olympus.