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Hayden volleyball team beats rival Soroco

Luke Graham
Hayden sophomore Jordan Temple spikes the ball over the net Tuesday against Soroco. The Tigers won, 3-1.
Luke Graham

— As the Hayden High School volleyball team made its way to the locker room Tuesday, first year head coach Christene Planansky finally could let some of her emotions loose.

She shared hugs, laughs and even had to wipe away a few tears.

Tuesday wasn’t just another game. It was homecoming week, and it featured cross-county rival Soroco.



“It’s our very first win,” said Planansky, whose team beat Soroco, 3-1. “It’s just happiness on top of happiness on top of happiness.”

After struggling through the early portion of its schedule, losing six in a row including winning just three sets, Hayden finally found something that worked Tuesday.



The Tigers (1-6) were very much the aggressor early on. The team came from behind to win the first game, 26-24, before jumping all over Soroco, 25-11, in the second game.

Finally in the third game, Soroco showed some life. The Rams — who were done in by unforced error after unforced error — played a consistent Game 3.

The Rams limited their errors and walked away with a 25-16 win.

“We really can be consistent but it can’t just be game to game,” Rams coach Kim Reeves said. “It can’t be one of out of four games, it has to be three out of five.”

In the fourth set, Hayden again jumped on Soroco’s errors. The Rams struggled with their passing, and the Tigers used the hitting of Jordan Temple and Becca Hoza to put the Rams away.

“We just had to let them know this is their game,” Planansky said. “We wanted them to play smart and they did. I think this does help us. Each game we’ve been getting better and better. This is the one that will really set us off.”

Hayden next plays at 3 p.m. Saturday at home against Vail Christian. Soroco (1-5) plays at 6 p.m. Friday at home against Plateau Valley.

To reach Luke Graham, call 970-871-4229 or email lgraham@SteamboatToday.com


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