The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Overall record improves to 6-2, 2-0 in league
“I don’t think we’ve started out 6-2 in a long time,” said Titans volleyball coach Marla Covey, following their two wins this past weekend.
The Titans opened the season winning four of six matches a week ago on the road and then returned to Mt. Olympus on Saturday, September 8 to open league play against the South Park Burros and the Cripple Creek Pioneers.
Covey had some insight on South Park prior to the match and developed a strategy accordingly. After watching them play the week before, Covey knew they had two big hitters and she wanted her team to take them out of the match as early as possible.
“That was the plan and I think it actually worked,” says Covey. “[Sara] Sherman and [Suzanna] Dumas did their jobs.”
A soft tip from Dumas and a big kill by Monika Olesen paced the Titans to an early 8-4 lead in the first set.
The Burros rallied back to take the lead but back-to-back big plays by Miki Olesen stemmed the tide and the Titans went on to win the first set 25-20.
The second set of the South Park match proved a test for the Titans’ resolve. After building a 21-12 lead over the Burros, the Titans stalled, allowing South Park to claw its way back into the set and tie it up 24-24.
Crested Butte won the next two points to eke out the set win, capped by a deft tip by Monika to seal the 26-24 win.
Being up 2-0 in a best of five format can be an unsettling lead, especially in such a rally-intensive sport as volleyball.
The Titans came out sluggish in the third set as the Burros’ big hitters started to find their rhythm. The two teams traded off points and were all tied up 18-18 before the Titans returned to winning form.
The Titans won seven of the next eight points and Cassidy Dodds put the finishing touches on the win with an ace for the 25-19 set win to take the match in straight sets.
“For whatever reason, we took their hitters back out of the game,” says Covey.
After an extended break, the Titans then took the court against the Pioneers. The delay apparently drained the Titans of their focus as they traded off unforced errors and bad serves with Cripple Creek through the first set.
Adding more opportunity for confusion, Covey decided to use the Cripple Creek match as an opportunity to try out some new ideas with her team
“I put in some different line-ups and I thought we’d test out a little different offense,” says Covey.
The stronger team prevailed in the end as the Titans pulled out a 25-20 first set win.
Covey stuck with her plan through the next two sets and the Titans won them 25-20, 25-19 for their second win in straight sets that day.
“I think we had a little mental breakdown in that match,” says Covey. “We served well against South Park but let up against Cripple Creek.”
Overall, Covey likes where her team is so far in the season.
“Considering we’re a pretty young team, I’m happy with our defense, and our defense has gotten us to a 6-2 record,” says Covey.
The Titans host Center on Friday, September 14 in Mt. Olympus at 4 p.m. and then head to the San Luis Valley to face Sargent on Saturday, September 15.
“Center will be tough and Sargent, I think, is undefeated right now, but going in with a 6-2 record helps,” says Covey.
