Home

Steamboat Springs — Throughout the preseason, the Steamboat Springs High School volleyball team preached it was a close unit that didn't let much of anything affect the team.

On Thursday against Glenwood Springs in the Western Slope League opener for both teams, Steamboat turned those words into action.

The Sailors overcame some early struggles to pull out a 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-15, 25-11) win.

"That mentality is a tough thing to teach kids," Steamboat coach Wendy Hall said. "I think that's in their personality and in their relationships with each other. It really comes out in their play."

After a first game that Steamboat (5-1 overall, 1-0 in league play) won thanks in large part to the outside hitting of senior Kacey Bull and Devin Wilkinson, the second game started a trend of runs.

Glenwood used a 15-3 run midway through the second game to even the match at one. But that second game might also have been the turning point for Steamboat. Despite losing, the Sailors closed the game on a 9-3 run.

"In the second game, we started to lose that mentality and drive for it," said Wilkinson, who finished with four kills. "We talked less. But even in the end of that game, we started to get a run going."

That run - and Glenwood errors - helped Steamboat secure the win in the final two games.

The Sailors used a 17-5 run in the third game and an 18-2 run in the fourth game to finish off the Demons.

"I think our play speaks a thousand words," Glenwood coach Sean Lively said. "We have some issues with finishing. That's what we're going to work on. We can compete with any team, but (Thursday) our girls beat themselves."

Still, in a league in which any of the teams could take the title, Thursday's showing might not have provided the clarity the coaches were looking for.

Each team certainly has areas to work on, but each coach left feeling that the league is for the taking.

"I think winning the league opener is huge," Hall said. "Any league game that we can win is huge. I think Glenwood is one of those teams that is in the hunt since I think the league is wide open. I fully expected them to be one of those teams to beat. They may have thought the same about us."

Steamboat continues league play at 1 p.m. Saturday at Rifle.