Fight To The Bitter End: Season ends for spikers at regionals but future is bright with youthful lineup returning

    In order to live to see another week on the court, the Glenrock High School volleyball team had to serve up at least two wins at the 3A East Regional Championships in Douglas. The squad fell short but left the court for the final time with its best performance of the season to show there is much promise for next year with most of the team coming back.

The Herders’ tall task meant taking on two state-ranked teams within 24 hours. They were unable to escape the hard-hitting No. 4 Wheatland Bulldogs in a 25-20, 25-10, 25-6 loss.

Outside hitter Megan Farley and middle hitter/blocker Sheridan Sarvey led the GHS with six kills each. Sophomore Caitilyn Williams and senior Zhane Johnson dished out three of their own.

The outcome sent Glenrock into a must-win match against Buffalo. It was the fourth meeting of the year between the programs and fourth one that was a true fight to the finish as the Converse County girls were outstanding but came out short in the final match of the year after a 20-25, 2519, 25-17, 26-24 setback.

Glenrock was the underdog but played like a top dog. Malorey Lawrence unleashed two quick aces while Farley and Williams slammed the first kills of the opening set and the team trailed by just one at 8-7.

The Bison found a little momentum thanks to mistakes. They scored on a hitting error and a service miscue to grab their biggest lead at just 16-12 but forced GHS to burn a time out.

The stoppage by Ashlee Lopez paid off and the Herders met the challenge, Behind the setting of Lawrence, Sarvey and Farley hammered two kills each and the final attack gave the team its first advantage at 18-17.

The lead was safe. Makenzie McCullough had a stuffed block and an ace while Farley pounded her final outside shot for the win and move two sets away of a huge potential upset.

Buffalo didn’t let that happen and benefitted from a slow start by GHS. Four unforced hitting and serving errors and an ace lifted BHS to a 9-3 advantage and forced the first time out of the set.

The Herders were unable to respond this time. They tightened their defensive grip but the Bison outside attack was a little too much and planted three straight kills while denying GHS hits with consecutive blocks to go up 18-11.

 Glenrock made a last-ditch effort to get back into the set. Two spectacular digs via Evie Sivage and Nevaeh Federer and hits from Gracie Sixbey and Katie Albrandt cut the deficit to five on two occasions but no closer as the match was tied at 1-1.

It was an all-out battle for most of the third set. Spectacular defensive play by Johnson, a dink from McCullough and a pair of kills from Farley and Sarvey help fight to a 10-10 tie.

The teams traded points through the middle stretch as Glenrock made big defensive play after big defensive play to hold off the Buffalo offense. Federer made another diving save and Williams and Sixbey  fired shots from the right side and GHS trailed by just one at 15-14.

The Herders held on for as long as they could before the Bison finally found a little offensive rhythm. They went on a 7-2 run to move ahead by six and hold on to take the set.

The start of the final set of the season for Glenrock could not had started better as Sarvey smothered a middle hit, Lawrence dished out another ace and Johnson made a diving save that led to a point and a quick 4-3 advantage.

The lead traded sides three times as the Herders continued to fight for their seasons’ life. Farley and Albrandt delivered kills to put the team up 7-5 and that run continued with a ace courtesy of Farley and back-to-back attacks by Williams and Sarvey which put the team ahead 15-8 and on the verge and pulling away to even the match.

Buffalo rejected that plan. Instead, they returned offensive fire and mounted a 10-4 run that ended with the score knotted at 18-18 and a GHS time out.

The Herders made one last run and had a shot to force a fifth set when McCullough blocked another shot and Farley pounded the final kill of the season to put the team ahead 21-19. 

The Bison did not let GHS score those final four points. Instead, they benefitted on two unforced hitting errors to score six of the final eight points to rally for the win.

Farley made sure she left it all on the court as she ended her career with 15 kills in the match. Sarvey finished with nine kills while Williams added five and Sixbey had three.