GREELEY — Amy Miller had been waiting for Saturday ever since the high school volleyball season ended in November.
That’s when the Platte Valley outside hitter found out she would be playing in the Colorado High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.
She made the most of her last match.
Miller helped her teammates on the Black squad score a 25-21, 25-12, 22-25, 25-11 championship victory over the Blue squad in the four-team tournament at the University of Northern Colorado’s recreation center.
But it wasn’t easy.
“It’s kind of weird because we’ve never played with each other,” said Miller, who had only 3 1/2 hours of practice time with her teammates Friday in preparation for Saturday’s games. “It was good that we could stick and bring each other up. We all have awesome skills. That’s why we’re in the All-Star Game.”
It took plays like the ones Miller made early to keep the Black squad going, especially in the first set. Time and time again Miller made point-saving digs, most of them after an Alysa Heath kill attempt.
This came at a time when the Blue squad was rolling off multiple points in taking a pair of seven-point leads. But the Black squad never backed down.
With help from Pawnee’s Janelle Cass, D’Evelyn’s Emily Adney and Pikes Peak Christian’s Cassidy Austin, the Black squad scored 17 of the final 23 points to take the opening set.
The second set, while competitive, was controlled by the Black squad. Miller’s team never trailed and the 13-point victory was the largest lead of the match.
“Yesterday we actually focused all of our practice time on making sure they were communicating,” said Meeker’s Christy Atwood, who coached the Black squad with Mountain Vista’s Kevin Cary. “We did a lot of fun drills, more gamelike situations. I think that helped to prepare for today.”
The Blue squad rallied to capture the third set, but it only delayed the inevitable.
“I was real excited to be out here,” Heath said. “Of course, I hate losing. It hurts a lot, but it was a fun game.”
While her team may have lost, the decision didn’t take away from the experience for the Chatfield graduate.
Especially since she was playing against Adney, her best friend and soon-to-be teammate at Wichita State.
“It was hard. I’ve never played against her,” Heath said. “We’ve been on the same teams in club. She goes to a different high school than I do. She’s (Class) 4A, I’m 5A.”
So was there any one-on-one competition between the friends?
“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Heath said.
This time, and maybe for the only time, Adney got the upper hand.
