Volleyball team rebounds, sweeps Coal Ridge and Basalt

The Gunnison High School volleyball team went 2-0 last week, beating a team that swept them earlier this season in the process.

The Cowboys hosted Coal Ridge on Thursday, Oct. 1, and then traveled to Basalt on Saturday, Oct. 3. With the two wins, the team now sits at 7-7 with five games left in the regular season, all of which are rematches against teams played earlier this season.

Earlier this season, the Cowboys traveled to New Castle to play Coal Ridge for the first time. The Titans swept the Cowboys in three games. Thursday’s rematch in Gunnison was a different story, though.

“The girls did an amazing job of believing they could win against a team that swept us,” wrote head coach Shana Benson in an email to the Times. “We were able to have multiple ladies score a multitude of points, making everyone a threat on the court.”

The Cowboys beat the Titans 3-1 Thursday. They lost the first set 25-12, but won the second set 25-19, the third set 25-18 and the fourth set 25-22.

Gianna Wickenhauser and Roxie Uhrig both had a team-high eight kills, and Addison Claus and Kaya Burnett each had seven kills.

Uhrig and Natalia Sabino each led the team with two aces, and the Cowboys as a team had a 93.6% serve completion percentage.

Kat Rodriguez led the team with 26 digs, and Uhrig was right behind her with 25 digs of her own. Claus had a team-high 20 assists and Sabino had 15. Wickenhauser led the team with four total blocks.

“Our serving was unstoppable, and our serve receive was the best it's been all season,” wrote Benson.

Two days later, the team traveled to Basalt for the first of two matches against the Longhorns this season. The Cowboys won in three sets, winning the first set 25-15, the second set 27-25 and the third set 25-18.

“For Basalt, we set a goal in set 3 of starting strong, and getting ahead, and we did that,” wrote Benson. “We have a habit of getting behind early, and making strong comebacks, but sometimes we get too far behind.”

Maya Petrie led the team with 10 kills in the match. Wickenhauser had the second-most with seven. Uhrig once again led the team with four aces in the match. As a team, the players had a 90.1% serve completion percentage.

Claus led the team with 15 assists, Rodriguez led the team with 16 digs and Petrie led the team with three total blocks.

“Right now the team is great at not giving up,” wrote Benson. “I'm very proud of their relentlessness on the court.”

The Cowboys' next match is at Aspen on Thursday, Oct. 8. The Cowboys hosted the Skiers earlier in the year and were swept in three sets.

Ahead of the match, Benson and the Cowboys are working hard on covering their hitters and blocking.

“We are drilling hard,” wrote Benson. “Mixing up and putting new drills into practice helps keep their minds fresh and dialed in, so there isn't monotony going into the last portion of (the) season.”