Lady Cowboys battle it out away from home

MEEKER I The weekend was certainly a test for Meeker’s volleyball team, having three matches in two days, all on the road.
Their first opponent was Plateau Valley on Friday night. The girls won the match in four games, overcoming serving and hitting errors at inopportune times. The lady Cowboys had to buckle down and play hard in the fourth game to get the win 25-19. Saturday the girls had an extremely tough task ahead, playing Paonia in their gym, and Hotchkiss in their home as well.
“Saturday was a test for our team physically and mentally,” said coach Atwood. “We knew we were going to have to play well as a team in all aspects of our game to beat them on their court.”
They did just that in game one, defeating a surprised Eagle team 25-18. The team had eight unforced errors in game two, leaving them in a bind. They lost game two 14-25. Game three found both teams playing well, going back and forth to 16-16 before Paonia had a small run that gave them the edge to close 19-25. Game four was another example of great competition with the teams battling in more incredible volleys. The lady Cowboys had a chance to put the game away 20-16 but Paonia’s tenacious play found them ahead in the end by two to finish the match.
“The third set had one of the best rallies I have seen in high school volleyball,” Atwood said. The team played hard and were certainly in the match at every point with Paonia.
The third match of the weekend was against Hotchkiss, which is new to the league. The Meeker girls proved what they are made of, winning in three games. Atwood said, “The match was a tribute to the substance of our team.” She added, “It is awesome that all nine girls contributed to our win.” The team was led in aces over the weekend by senior Kaysyn Chintala with 10, followed by Amanda Kindall with seven. Bailey Atwood lead the way in kills, totaling 17 for the weekend, followed by a pair of juniors, Taylor Neilson with 15, and Aly Ridings with 14. Piper Haney had 50 digs in three matches, and Taylor Neilson had 12 blocks as the leading defender on the net.
“We had a great weekend of volleyball,” Atwood said of the overall performance, and the team looks forward to another intense weekend. They play Vail Mountain Friday and Rangely on Saturday.
The competition is expected to once again be tough as teams battle it out for standings. Thanks to all the supporters that made the long trip this past weekend, and come out to cheer on the team this week.