The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Host final match of season this Saturday
The Titan volleyball team hosted the league leading Sargent Farmers on Friday, October 10. The night would include a new game net system (thanks to our wonderful booster club) and a chance to honor and pay respect to the seniors and the Titans parents. In addition, the Titan volleyball team presented Living Journeys, the local cancer support group, a check from funds the team raised when they held two fundraisers earlier in the season. Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) encourages volleyball teams across the state to get involved in breast cancer awareness month every October.
Starting the seniors in the first set on senior night allowed many of the players their last opportunity to play prior to break and the end of league play on October 18. The seniors and junior Madison Lambert started off with a bang and jumped on the Farmers 5-0. The Farmers settled in and the tall middle hitter from Sargent found her groove and racked up multiple kills in the first set. After the initial lead, the Titans dropped the first set 14-25.
Starting the second set, the Titans knew the front line would have to put up a bigger block on their middle in order to interrupt the offensive flow of the Farmers. Sophomore Isabel Young and senior Leila Nichols started to get some middle blocks and touches on their middle hitter. The move forced the Farmers to change their offense and the blocking by the Titans slowed down the ball so that their defense had a better chance. The Titans started playing better and the set provided some long, intense rallies. Senior Leila Nichols led the team in kills and blocks but the Titans still fell short, dropping the next two sets 13-25, 13-25.
The next morning the Titans hit the road to Del Norte to face the Del Norte Tigers and the South Park Burros. With October break and SAT testing, the team dropped down to nine players who would square off against the Tigers in the first match.
The Tigers were pumped, having just beaten the Burros and in the midst of their homecoming weekend. The Titans again jumped off to a great start, leading the Tigers through most of the first set before ultimately losing the first set 25-27.
The young gun sophomores Annie Duryea and Young led the team with five and four kills. Young led the team in blocks with several great double blocks working with senior Brittany Barefield and junior captain Ericka Bremer led the team with six defensive digs, helping to extend the rallies. Duryea also led the team with four ace serves in the match. While the Titans worked hard, ultimately they could not break through to win a set against the Tigers, losing the next two sets 16-25 and 20-25 and the match.
Crested Butte closed the day against the Burros of South Park. The Burros beat the Titans in their first match of the season in the Labor Day Weekend Tournament in Cripple Creek but the Titans won the next league match against the Burros in September in a hard-fought five set match. The pressure was on Crested Butte as they needed the win to bump them up a notch in league standings and set them up better in the post-season.
Once again the Titans came out hot as they jumped out to an early lead against the Burros and held the lead for most of the set. The sophomores led the Titans in several crucial areas as Emilya Ramsey and Young racked up several blocks and Duryea again led the teams in kills with nine, followed closely by Young with eight. Duryea and Lambert also provided the Titans with some long serving runs in the match. Senior captain setters Brittany Barefield and Courtney Kopf helped their hitters, with each tallying 10 assists in the match and the Titans won the match in three straight sets 25-20, 25-18 and 25-22.
With limited practice time and numbers during October break, the next week is always full of surprises for the Titans. They will host the Custer County Bobcats, who are currently in second place in the Southern Peaks League, in the Titans’ last home match on Saturday, October 18 at 1 p.m.
The following Tuesday the Titans will hit the road to play the first pigtail elimination match in Districts. Their opponent in the first District match will not be determined until Sunday, October 19.
