Year in and year out, no matter who the starting players may be, it’s no accident that the Gilpin County Eagles always seem to put together a quality volleyball squad. Superb coaching along with multiple seasons of hard work and dedication on the part of the talented players make it so.
With a record of 3-3, on September 18 the Eagles faced the Bishop Machebeuf Buffaloes in a match that could shape the rest of their season. Having lost to them 0-3 last year, the girls were eager for redemption.
Coach “Topher” Rouse noted about the first set that “The girls came out strong and played aggressively. It was a clean game.” Gilpin won that set decisively by a score of 25-14.
If those in attendance thought that the Buffaloes were going to surrender peacefully, they were mistaken. Showing grit and determination of their own, Bishop Machebeuf played their way to a 6-point lead. A timeout was called by the Eagles to regroup and discuss strategies. Whatever was said on the sideline must have worked as Gilpin battled back to tie the score at 15 apiece. Every point hotly contested in a back-and-forth affair, the teams found themselves tied at 24-24. With the pressure on, Gilpin scored twice more to win 26-24. Coach Rouse observed that “The girls were tough and came through. Sometimes you have to win ugly.”
The third set played out more like the first: with cohesiveness, very few unforced errors, and dominance at the net. 25-17 was the final score, wrapping up a 3-0 match victory.
Lizzie Westbrook, Makenzie Marr, and Elise Vincent received serve 14, 15, and 16 times respectively. Overhand hits by the opponent were dug 10 times by Makenzie Marr and 11 times by Elise Vincent. Serving percentages were typically high, with Annabelle Aloel, Faith Ramsey, Joei Sutton, Lizzie Westbrook, and Elise Vincent making major contributions. Elise Vincent and Jiselle Osteboe attacked the net relentlessly, and Joei Sutton was credited with 19 assists.
With no time to rest on their laurels, the Gilpin Eagles headed to Union Colony the very next night, achieving a 3-0 victory. The Eagles record now stands at 5-3 for the season.
