Greenwood Village – Cherry Creek’s Abby Monson had just one kill in the decisive third game against Mountain Vista, but it said a lot.
The speedy slam screamed of frustration as the Bruins were flirting with blowing a big lead for the second time Wednesday night.
It spoke of poise. Although the Bruins, ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, lost it at times, they denied the third-ranked Golden Eagles a victory.
Most of all, Monson’s kill spoke of relief as the Bruins capped a 25-21, 31-29, 25-22 nonleague volleyball win before a large and vocal audience.
“We’re still learning, but I think we’ll figure out how to finish the games quicker,” Monson said.
Cherry Creek (2-0) pulled away late in the first game but had to endure nervy finishes to the next two games after building early leads.
The Bruins showed off their depth, height and offensive weaponry behind a steady defense, led by libero Ngoc Phan, and the setting of Britt Haugland and junior Gabrielle Dewberry.
Haugland had 15 assists while Dewberry had 15 assists, seven kills and one block. Junior Carrie Baird led the Bruins with 10 kills, Elise Sage had nine, Tessa Trimble had seven and Monson added four.
Mountain Vista (0-1) received eight kills from all-state outside hitter Ariel Turner but had slow starts, missed opportunities at the net and hitting errors.
“That’s what we have tried to work on,” Golden Eagles coach Kevin Cary said of his team’s intensity and focus. “Of course, we bought into a lot of the hype, with the rankings and everything, but I think it’s a lesson well- learned. Hopefully, we come out and take care of business in league.”
