Putting lessons to work: Spikers bounce back from tough tourney with conference victory over Rawlins

For a highlight reel, the Glenrock High School volleyball team put together many good runs, plays and efforts in its first six matches of the season in Douglas. The up-and-coming squad put those lessons to the test last week, and served up one victory, and another close upset to make it an overall successful and productive week two of the season.

The Herders were a busy bunch with three matches in three days and they played well in all of them. However, the best result came at the perfect time with a 25-15, 25-12, 25-13 sweep and victory at Rawlins.
It was important because it’s already the first 3A East Conference match and every victory will be key by end of season.

One reason the Carbon County girls could not take down GHS was the incredible effort of libero Bailey Cornella. The sophomore in all three sets mopped up the back row with digs and saves that kept the Outlaws from stringing  points together.
Though Rawlins led first in two of the three sets, it was all Herders – start to finish. The closest set of the night was the first one where RHS managed  three one-point leads. It was far from enough to scare Glenrock, which used a pair of kills from junior Sheridan Sarvey and senior Caitilyn Williams, as well as a stuffed block courtesy of Sarvey to eventually tie things up at 7-7.

Rawlins never led again as the defensive work of Cornella and Williams was too much for the Outlaws. Meanwhile, GHS finally grabbed its first lead thanks to attacks and assists by senior Malorey Lawrence and junior Taitum Helmey to make it 13-10.

The Herders were just warming up as junior Ciara Toner served six straight points including an ace. In addition, Williams put up a stuffed block and Sarvey hammered two more middle kills to stretch the advantage to 20-11.

The hosts pinned a couple of scrappy plays to snap the run. It didn’t last long as Lawrence dished out a pair of assists on two more attacks by Sarvey to take the opener.

The Outlaws scored first again in the second set but it didn’t follow with the same kind of momentum. Lawrence owned the Rawlins back row as she unleashed 10 consecutive serves which included two aces.

With Lawrence picking apart the defense, the GHS front row took care of the rest. A trio of kills via Sarvey, Helmey and Zoey Wasik, as well as a dink by Williams and a pair of fantastic digs from Cornella, caused the lead to explode to 11-1.

Rawlins attempted to make a run of its own by chalking up four unanswered points. However, a middle attack by Helmey erased any thoughts of a rally Rawlins may have entertained.

The Herders took care of business from that point. Two digs and an ace via Cornella and a scattering of hits from Wasik, Sarvey, Williams and Helmey led to win the second win.

Glenrock finally scored first in the finale and never looked back. GHS thwarted the few attacks it faced while Lawrence delivered another ace and Helmey crushed a middle kill to jump ahead immediately 14-6. Rawlins answered with three of its own but it was too little, too late as Sarvey put finishing touches on the sweep with two aces and a kill.

Close calls
Glenrock had two other matches that didn’t have the same result but the girls had the same effort. In the first home match of the season Sept. 4, the Converse County girls used an impressive rally to extend the match against Pine Bluffs but it wasn’t enough in a 25-11, 24-26, 25-19, 25-16 setback.

The Herders also flirted with an upset on their home floor against state-ranked Torrington. They held strong to steal a set and only lost two others  by three points or less in a thrilling 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23 defeat.