The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“They just couldn’t sustain it”
By Than Acuff
It was a whole new week for the Crested Butte Titans volleyball team but fatigue from their effort from the week before still lingered when they took the floor against the Custer County Bobcats on Thursday, October 2. As a result, despite a valiant effort in the third game of the match, the Titans still fell to the Bobcats in four games.
Crested Butte dropped the first game 25-20 but did put up a better fight through the second game and when Mia O’Neil came up with a kill and a tip and Haley Roberts followed with a kill, the Titans were up 19-17. The Bobcats rallied back though to win five of the next six points and continued their late game surge to take the second game 25-20.
“Hailey Huresky and I were both playing with a pretty rough sickness and we were moving slow and the rest of the team struggled to stay up while we were down,” says O’Neil.
The Titans did take the time between the third and fourth game to regroup and opened the third game building a 6-3 lead off a more organized team effort with O’Neil and Roberts providing key hits.
The Bobcats eventually responded to take an 11-9 lead but then Huresky came up with a quick hit, also known as a hut, to help stem the rising Custer County tide. The teams traded the next several points but hits from O’Neil helped the Titans build a 20-18 lead forcing Custer County to call a timeout.
The break did nothing to slow the Titans down though as the team built off a service run from O’Neil, including a block from Maryn Pritchett to pull ahead 23-18. Quick reaction work by Huresky kept the ball alive for the Titans to win the next point and then a kill by Roberts sealed the game three win, 25-19.
“We talked between sets how important everyone doing their part is during these games and some of our players stepped up,” says O’Neil.
“They came out with a great attitude and played more like themselves,” adds coach Sheri Covey.
The hope in any volleyball match is that after going down 2-0 but winning the third game, teams can build momentum for the fourth game and potentially force a fifth game, and it looked that way for the Titans.
The Titans were on fire winning the opening point but faltered a little to fall behind 9-4 before making a comeback. An ace from O’Neil, a kill from Pritchett, a block by Huresky and a savvy play by Roberts had the Titans back in the mix tied 11-11 with Custer County.
The Bobcats remained unbreakable though and they responded to rebuild their lead and reach set and match point up 24-18. A tip from Huresky earned the Titans a sideout and Roberts stepped to the service line with one missed serve ending the match. She came through with quality serves, and her team backed her up to win the next six points and push the game, but the Bobcats eventually emerged to win 27-25 and take the match.
“They just couldn’t sustain it,” says Covey. “I think there was still some lingering fatigue from the week before.”
While a loss is a loss and the Titans were disappointed dropping a match, they felt they could have won, Covey did get additional insights into her players and the team overall.
“Haley Erickson was in to set, and she did a phenomenal job and freshman libero Barbara Siqueira is a great defensive setter and did a great job for someone who hadn’t seen varsity time,” says Covey. “They really thought that they could have, and should have, won that one and that shows they’re invested. I see a big mental change.”
Their mental and physical fortitude will now be put to the biggest tests of the season as they face Del Norte and Sanford, with Del Norte a top 20 team and Sanford the number three team in the state in 2A.
“If we show up healthy and play the way we can, then there’s an opportunity for a positive outcome,” says Covey.
