The Gunnison High School volleyball team swept the Buena Vista tournament and finished the season on a six-game winning streak, earning them the No. 23 seed in 3A and a spot in the Resurrection Christian regional this weekend.
The girls traveled east to Buena Vista on Friday, Oct. 30, for a two-day tournament that would close out the regular season. The Cowboys were slotted to play two games on Friday and two games the following day on Saturday, Oct. 31.
They began the tournament with a match against Lake County which they won 2-0. The Cowboys won the first set 25-15 and the second set 25-13.
Maya Petrie led the team with six kills, Roxie Uhrig had a team-high five aces, Gianna Wickenhauser led the team with four total blocks, Kat Rodriguez had a team-high seven digs and Addison Claus and Natalia Sabino each had a team-leading nine assists.
Later on Friday the Cowboys beat the Platte Canyon Huskies 2-1. The girls dropped the first set 25-20, but bounced back with a 25-19 win in the second set and a 15-5 win in the third set.
Petrie had a team-high 10 kills and three aces, Claus, Wickenhauser, Jasmine Besecker and Petrie each had a block, Uhrig had a team-high 12 digs and Claus led the girls with 15 assists.
The following day, the Cowboys opened play with a match against the tournament’s host Buena Vista. Once again the Cowboys lost the opening set 25-20, but bounced back with a 25-15 win in the second set and a 15-7 win in the third set to take the match 2-1.
Petrie led the team with 11 kills, two aces and two total blocks in the match, Rodriguez had a team-high 16 digs and Claus led the girls with 17 assists.
The Cowboys closed out the tournament and the regular season with a match against Meeker. The girls won the first set 25-22, but dropped the second set 25-21. They won a tightly contested third set 15-13 for the 2-1 win, making it their sixth win in a row and their 14th win on the year.
Petrie led the team with 15 kills and three total blocks, Uhrig had a team-high three aces, Rodriguez had a team-high 28 digs and Claus led the girls with 17 assists.
“The girls never gave up,” wrote head coach Shana Benson when discussing the team’s performance at the tournament in an email sent to the Times. “They stayed calm and collected. They communicated better than ever, took necessary risks, hit the ball even when they could've tipped, and served extremely well.”
Benson also emphasized that she was extremely impressed with the determination and grit the girls showed throughout the weekend. She noted that many times the girls hustled after balls that looked to be going out of play and that hustle continually paid off for them.
Benson also highlighted the performances of Uhrig, Rodriguez, Bogart, Petrie, Claus and Sabino.
“Roxie Uhrig played her best volleyball this past weekend, both offensively in the front row and defensively in the back row,” wrote Benson. “Kat Rodriguez and Emma Bogart were solid in the back row, relentlessly digging and passing. Our setters, Claus and Sabino, put all of our hitters in positions to score. Maya Petrie hit the ball so hard and found open spots on the court.”
The Cowboys finished the season with a 14-9 record and earned the No. 23 seed in 3A by the end of the year. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the girls will head to Loveland to face Manitou Springs (No. 35 seed) and Resurrection Christian (No. 2 seed) in the Resurrection Christian regional.
Benson emphasized that the girls will run high-energy drills in practice and focus on serving, especially because it is one of their main strengths as a team.
“Two weeks ago, we were on the edge of not even qualifying for (the) postseason,” wrote Benson. “We were sitting at 37-38. The girls didn't let that faze them. Winning six in a row, they are peaking at the right time. They are cohesively working together to play their best volleyball of the fall. I am so proud of them.”
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