Members of the 2018 Holyoke High School volleyball team are pictured from left, front row, Jessy Mosqueda, Danna Olivas, Yeidi Juarez, Emily Jelden, Brenna Sullivan, Janessa Lutze, Perla Olivas and Yovana Iniguez; second row, Emma Roll, Jaydy Dominguez, Josie Herman, Kylie Purkeypile, Jaromi Olivas and Kyra Loutensock; third row, Taeryn Trumper, Ashley Rahe, Kaylee Camblin, Taylor Trumper and Chloie Metzger; and back row, coach Ashley Hoffner, Kristin Vieselmeyer, Kyleigh Jaeger and coach Hannah Petersen. Not pictured are Emali Torres and Wendy Chaparro. — Jim Powell Photography
Akron win is major for HHS volleyball
Going into their Sept. 18 varsity volleyball match, Akron was ranked 10th and Holyoke 20th among 2A schools in Colorado. On top of that, Akron had already beat Holyoke 3-0 in a tournament earlier in the season. Given the surrounding circumstances, it was a remarkable moment when the Dragons won 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 25-16, 21-25, 15-12).
“For us to win against a team that’s ranked 10 higher than us was huge,” said coach Hannah Petersen. Before they took to the court, Petersen encouraged the players to take advantage of their chance to show Akron that the last game was a “fluke.” And they did just that.
In the first set of the evening, the Dragons were already off to a better start than the last time they’d faced Akron, winning 25-21. However, the Rams weren’t going to take defeat lying down, and fought back in the second set. The score remained close, and in the end Akron pulled ahead 26-24.
The third set was a turning point. “I have never seen a team that fired up,” Petersen said. They moved well and went after the ball, never getting down on themselves or giving up. The final score was consistent with their effort, as the Dragons posted a 25-16 win.
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