PATIENCE PAYS OFF: Herders serve up victory over Rawlins after facing Douglas

It’s been a long month for the Glenrock High School volleyball team. The group has battled through tight sets, seen many leads lost along the way and went through the month of September without a victory.

With so many close contests, the drought was bound to end, and, it ended Saturday at the best place possible - in The Rock.

The Herders overcame a slow start against Rawlins and bounced back like the talented team they are to score victory with a 21-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-14 decision.

It took a little time to develop, but Glenrock unleashed one of its best performances of the season in front of a loud and supportive crowd. Though the score was tied on four occasions in the opening set, Rawlins made GHS pay for unforced errors to take the first game.

It was all Herders from then on. After falling behind 5-3, they tightened their grip and played stellar volleyball.

A stuffed block by Caitlyn Williams, an ace via Ann Marie Young and a kill by Megann Farley set GHS on a 9-1 run that gave them the lead at 12-6.

The Outlaws made a short run at GHS. The group used a couple of hitting miscues to get within three points and force a time out.

The defensive work of Evie Sivage and SeAnna Theien gave the front line a chance to get on a track. That’s what happened when Krosnarova slammed a pair of sets while Julia Sarvey and Young posted blocks to push the team back ahead 19-13.

Rawlins didn’t get any closer. Glenrock scored the final three points to even the match at one win each.

The third set was not much different. Rawlins’ hitting errors gave GHS the first two points of the set, but RHS scored three straight on Glenrock miscues to grab its first lead at 4-3.

The Outlaws didn’t back down and reclaimed its lead at 8-5. That was the final lead for the visitors as GHS’ Trysta Stoddard, Makenzi Partridge and O’Brien made key defensive plays to shift the momentum.

A pair of attacks by Sarvey and Krosnarova allowed the Herders to take their final lead at 9-8. They didn’t stop there as an ace by Young pushed the advantage to 13-8 and forced RHS to stop play.

Glenrock never slowed down. Rawlins got within two points before Sarvey made a diving save and Young slammed another kill to push the team to the win and one set away from victory.

The finale was close early on. Glenrock held on to slim leads of 5-3 and 8-6 before pulling away. 

Stoddard served four straight points to allow the Herders to roll. Young also punished Rawlins at the middle of the net where she plastered the defense with three more kills to push the lead to 10 and send the team to a much-awaited victory.

DOUGLAS OUTLASTS GLENROCK IN THREE

After a rough week which included getting swept by a pair of unranked teams, the Douglas try that helped propel the squad to the No. 3 spot in the state rankings. 

Unfortunately for Glenrock, Douglas returned to top form and won twice in a 72-hour span, including the first meeting of the year with the Herders in a three-set sweep in the cross-county rivalry 25-19, 25-17, 25-23.

Douglas had its share of hitting errors which has slowed the team in recent weeks. However, the offensive was proficient enough thanks to kills from five different players, creating problems for the Herders’ smaller front line.

After taking a quick 3-1 advantage, Douglas’ unforced errors allowed Glenrock to storm back. GHS used a pair of stuffed blocks by Makenzi Partridge and Julie Sarvey, and scored on three DHS miscues to take the biggest lead of the night at 11-5.

The deficit forced Douglas to burn a time out. The break in action allowed DHS to fight back as it used outside blasts by Leticia DeGracia, Paige Reese and Lauren Olsen to cut the Glenrock lead to three, 12-9.

The Herders stopped the run thanks to consecutive blocks via Annie Krosnarova. However, DHS had an answer and used back-to-back kills courtesy of Timea Ford and Calie Dahl, and an ace by  Avynn Yost to reclaim the lead at 18-17.

The Bearcat defense, led by libero Brooke Wright, silenced Glenrock as they scored 12 of the final 14 points to steal all the momentum. DHS ended the opening set with an offensive barrage with attacks by Olsen, DeGracia and Ford to get the win.

Glenrock did not allow that run to trickle into the second set. The group scored first thanks to a tip and a stuff by Krosnarova to give the team a 3-0 edge.

The Bearcats’ power at the net was too much for GHS. Taylor Maxwell smashed three straight kills and Reese served up an ace to even the score at 6-6.

Two spectacular digs by Wright allowed Douglas to keep its run alive with six straight points to jump front 12-6.  Glenrock attempted to battle back with a block by Cailtlyn Williams and a kill from Sarvey to get within four points.

Douglas didn’t let things get any closer. A quick-set kill by DeGracia, two attacks from Dahl and block via Olsen allowed the Bearcats to take a 19-12 lead.

The Herders made one last attempt to get ahead. Krosnarova laid down an ace while Farley smashed another kill to make it a five-point game.

The run ended after that. Three straight attacks by Reese, Maxwell and Dahl secured the second win.

Glenrock had its second solid start in the third set. Back-to-back aces by Krosnarova led to a 3-0 advantage.

Douglas attempted to erase the quick run like it did in the second set thanks to attacks from DeGracia and Dahl. It was not enough this time as GHS responded with a stuffed block by Ann Marie Young and two defensive digs from Trysta Stoddard and Hailey O’Brien to extend the lead to 7-3.

That’s where the momentum  ended. Maxwell served up back-to-back aces and crushed an outside attack, while Wright served three in a row to tie things up at 8-8.

The neighboring rivals traded big plays through the middle portion. The set was tied at 10, 11 and 13.

The upset-minded Herders reclaimed their lead. Krosnarova dished out two more aces and Williams had a block to give GHS a 17-13 advantage.

Like the opening set, Douglas burned a time out and it changed the momentum. A kill by DeGracia, a kill courtesy of Maxwell and two aces from Yost and Maxwell, and the score was knotted at 19-19.

An unforced DHS error and an outside attack by Farley allowed Glenrock to reclaim the leads at 20-19 and 23-22. 

The Bearcats secured the sweep by scoring the final three points thanks to back-to-back kills by Reese that put the game in the books.

UP NEXT

Glenrock will return to conference play this week with two important matchups. 

GHS will travel to Buffalo Friday for a 6 p.m. clash before returning home Saturday to battle Moorcroft at 1 p.m.