COLORADO SPRINGS – Back in 2019 when the Bayfield girls volleyball team last qualified for the Class 3A state championships, the Wolverines entered the bracket as the No. 12 overall seed and made a nice little run.
Well, the Wolverines are the No. 12 seed once again in 2021 and they’ve already improved on that performance from two years ago.
Starting in the consolation bracket on Day 2 of the state championships at The Broadmoor World Arena after losing in the second round on Thursday, the Wolverines began Friday with a 25-21, 27-25, 18-25, 23-25, 25-9 thriller of a victory over No. 11 Alamosa. They followed that up by eliminating seventh-seeded defending state champion Eaton with a 16-25, 25-12, 25-15, 27-25 win in the second round.
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, the 12th-seeded Wolverines will take on No. 6 seed and last season’s runner-up Sterling in their fifth match of the tournament and with a berth into the semifinals on the line.
“Coming in as the 12 seed is not new to us,” Bayfield head coach Terene Foutz said. “But we’ve always believed that we’re stronger than that. We know that each match is going to be even tougher than the last and every match is going to be a scrap, and we’re looking forward to it. Whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, I think kids are just enjoying the love of playing. I think that’s what state should be.”
The winner of Saturday’s match between Bayfield and Sterling will face No. 4 University in the championship semifinals. In the opposite semifinal, a No. 2 Lamar team that won in five over Sterling awaits the winner on Saturday’s 9:30 a.m. consolation semifinal between No. 1 Resurrection Christian, which was swept in the championship quarterfinals by University, and No. 10 Platte Valley.
Platte Valley defeated No. 3 Lutheran in the second consolation round to set up it Saturday’s matchup with Resurrection Christian. In the first consolation round on Thursday, Lutheran swept No. 5 Liberty Common and Platte Valley swept DSST: Montview.
Eaton defeated Faith Christian in the first consolation round on Friday before losing to Bayfield in the second.
