The Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate volleyball team sits at 3-8 after going 1-2 over their last three games, with a win over Telluride and losses against Del Norte and Bayfield.
After a win last week over Montezuma-Cortez at home, the Lady Pirates were set to go back on the road for the next four games. They opened their four-game road trip with a game at Del Norte.
The Tigers, 9-2 on the season and ranked No. 12 in 3A, beat the Lady Pirates 3-0 on Thursday, Sept. 10.
The Tigers won the first set 25-9, the second set 25-23 and the third set 26-24.
“Del Norte was not our best night,” wrote coach Chelsea Caler in an email to The SUN. “We struggled with serve receive, getting our offense going and even picking up some balls defensively that we normally would. It felt like a major communication breakdown across the court.”
Sydney Plake and Dawson Iverson led the team with six kills each. Avea Bruce had four and Ellie Vining had three. Malorie Morton, Veda Deitemeyer and Liana Vega each had one.
Saleisha Black and Vega led the team with two aces each. Tatiana Monterroso, Iverson and Bruce each had one.
Monterroso led the team with 16 digs, and Vega followed with 11. Vega led the team with 17 assists.
After the loss to Del Norte, the Lady Pirates headed to Telluride on Saturday, Sept. 12, for a bout with the Miners.
The Lady Pirates bounced back, beating Telluride 3-0. They won the first set 25-21, the second set 26-24 and the third set 25-23.
“Telluride was a completely different story,” wrote Caler. “Everyone was communicating, five different hitters were contributing offensively, and we played much more aggressively. It was a really fun match to watch the girls fight through momentum shifts and keep playing hard all the way to the last point.”
Vining led the team with 10 kills, Iverson and Bruce each had nine, Plake had eight, and Deitemeyer had three.
Monterroso and Vining each had a team-leading two aces in the match. Fiorenza and Bruce each had one.
Monterroso led the team with 14 blocks, Bruce had eight, Iverson had seven, Fiorenza had six and Vega had five.
Vega led the team with 37 assists.
“Against Telluride, we passed really well and Tati played an incredible defensive game,” Caler wrote. “Our hitters were swinging aggressively and getting kills, and we did a much better job staying together when the momentum shifted.”
The Lady Pirates opened this week with a 3-0 loss at Bayfield on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The team lost the first set 22-25, the second set 20-25 and the third set 20-25.
“Honestly, I’m really proud of how we played, and also frustrated that we couldn’t finish it,” Caler wrote. “We came out swinging and played really well through the first two sets. I think we caught Bayfield a little off guard and we are showing teams we can hang and compete.”
Up next, the Lady Pirates will play at Montezuma-Cortez on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Panthers, who are 3-8, are ranked 59th in 3A.
Ahead of the match, the Lady Pirates are working on reading the game faster and eliminating hesitation and guessing on defense, according to the coach.
“We need to be better at running down balls and, probably most importantly, staying consistent with our communication,” wrote Caler.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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