GILPIN COUNTY - It was expected to be a close contest. Two evenly matched teams met in Gilpin County on September 18, 2025, when the Eagles faced the Union Colony Timberwolves.

Having won twice this year and been competitive in every match, even against the best teams, the Eagles came out strong in the first set. Coach Topher Rouse had urged them to “play to win.” Heeding his words, they played aggressively on every point. The result was a fairly convincing 25-20 victory.

Not about to roll over, the Timberwolves came roaring back in the second set. The Eagles were missing one of their starters due to illness and another wasn’t at full strength, still recovering from the same bug that was going around. Even with that factoring against them, Gilpin gave Union Colony a run for their money, but lost that set by a score of 25-19.

All tied up at one game apiece, the third set proved to be crucial. A battle from beginning to end, Gilpin’s girls reached down deep and were ahead 24-22. Serving twice to win the set, they were unable to convert and dropped the set 27-25.

A tough loss to be sure, and finding themselves down two games to one, the Eagles needed the next set to stay in the match. The sense of urgency was evident as they cruised to a 16-9 lead, yet ultimately lost the closely-contested fourth game 25-21. Final score of the exciting match: Union Colony 3, Gilpin 1.

Elise Vincent was dominant at the net, recording 22 kills. Amelia Bushey had 7 and Jadie DiMauro 4.

Adele Fisher set up many of Vincent’s kills with 20 assists to her credit. Vincent contributed 7 assists.

Jennifer Rodriguez-Jimenez, Adele Fisher, Jadie DiMauro, and Elise Vincent collectively received serve 74 times. Rodriguez-Jimenez registered 18 digs, DiMauro 8 digs, and Vincent 5 digs.

Freshman Riley Edwards recorded 4 aces. Autyauna Amaya-Church had 3 aces to go along with her 94.7% serving percentage, and Adele Fisher had 2 aces.

“The girls have stayed positive individually and as a team,” said Coach Rouse. “They’ve gotten better every time they step on the court. One third of the way through our season, there is a lot of volleyball left to be played and we’re going to try our best to pick up some more wins.”