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Falcon, Cheyenne Mountain get spots in volleyball regionals
Comments 0 | Recommend 0With a regional berth on the line and his team down two games to none, Falcon coach Brian Hall relayed a simple message Saturday morning.
“I told the girls it’s all about who wants it more and who touches the ball more,” he said.
Check out photos from the district tournament.
The Falcons responded in a big way, scoring the first 13 points of the third game behind the serving of Melissa Ninemire, and went on to beat Pueblo County 16-25, 24-26, 25-14, 25-14, 15-13.
Falcon’s first five-game victory of the season secured the team’s first regional appearance since 2004.
With the primary goal of the weekend realized, the Falcons were no match for host Cheyenne Mountain in the Class 4A District 5 title match.
“We were exhausted,” said Hall, whose team lost 25-11, 25-12, 25-15. “Cheyenne Mountain had a lot of power (from the beginning). We hope not to see them again until state.”
Pikes Peak 5A-4A No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain seems a lock for state. The undefeated Indians have dropped only three games this season and likely will play host to a regional next weekend.
“We just have to play our game,” Indians coach David Barkley said. “We want people coming to our gym knowing it’s tough to play here.”
Cheyenne Mountain was tested early in its district semifinal against Woodland Park, which scored the first seven points of the match.
“I reminded them of how good we are,” Barkley said. “Those first seven points, Woodland Park played out of their brain. But the team that’s more consistent is the one that wins.”
The Indians proved to be the more consistent team and prevailed 25-15, 25-12, 25-16.
“We work on coming together every point,” sophomore Janae Vander Ploeg said.
The same strategy worked for Falcon against Pueblo County.
After the quick start led to a victory in the third game, Gaby Munoz provided several kills in the fourth game to push the match to a decisive game.
In the fifth game, the teams went back and forth until a block by Lisa Hornyak sent the Falcons to regionals.
“The ball fit perfectly in my hands,” Hornyak said of the final play.
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