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DENVER — The Holy Family volleyball team didn’t play well in its first match at the Class 3A state tournament on Friday at the Denver Coliseum.
After a 3-0 loss to Eaton, the Tigers made sure to show everyone why they were the No. 5 seed at the state tournament against No. 1 Colorado Academy.
The Tigers took the top-seeded Mustangs to the brink, barely losing 25-17, 25-20, 13-25, 21-25, 15-11 after falling behind 2-0.
Unfortunately for the Tigers (20-7), the two losses erased any chance of advancing out of pool play today. They sit at 0-2 with a match against bottom-seeded University remaining. But at 2-0 each, Colorado Academy and Eaton have clinched the two semifinal spots from Pool 1.
“The girls really fought; we just came up short,” Holy Family coach Trisha Kroll said. “We had some unforced errors at the end that I thought really cost us, but they fought really hard.”
The defiant effort against CA was a total team campaign. But there were stretches where senior outside hitter Kassy Johannsen put the team on her back and carried it through tough spots.
“As a team, we just thought we had to give it all in that last game to come back,” said Johannsen, who racked up 38 kills against the Mustangs. “We like to have fun. It helps us play better and get excited.”
By the end, the Tigers were certainly having fun, happy to be back on the top of their game.
Head coach Trisha Kroll said the three-game loss to Eaton in their first match was not indicative of the Tigers’ game. Against Colorado Academy, they simply showed what they were capable of.
“We finally got in a rhythm,” Kroll said. “We made a couple changes defensively, lining up on what they were doing, and I think that really helped us.”
The Tigers moved libero Meghan Chiovitti to dig the crossing attacks and the back line played better. Senior middle blocker Mary Franz, who had struggled in the first two games, came alive and her emotion helped the other players.
Franz had 18 kills and six blocks against the Mustangs. Junior setter Kelsey Cribari finished with 53 assists.
CLASS 3A STATE
VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
At the Denver Coliseum
POOL 1 STANDINGS
No. 1 Colorado Academy 2-0
No. 4 Eaton 2-0
No. 5 Holy Family 0-2
No. 8 University 0-2
EATON 3, HOLY FAMILY 0
Holy Family 21 19 15
Eaton 25 25 25
Kills — Holy Family: Johannsen 9, Franz 6, Cribari 6, Mikesell 3, Pena 3, Weerstra.
Blocks — Holy Family: Franz 2, Spitzer 2, Pen, Mikesell.
Assists — Holy Family: Cribari 19, Weerstra 2.
Aces — Holy Family: Chiovitti 4, Johannsen.
Digs — Holy Family: Chiovitti 17, Weerstra 16, Johannsen 11, Cribari 8, Nelson 4, Mosko 3, Mikesell, Pena, Spitzer, Franz.
COLORADO ACADEMY 3, HOLY FAMILY 2
Holy Family 17 20 25 25 10
Colorado Academy 25 25 13 21 15
Kills — Holy Family: Johannsen 38, Franz 18, Cribari 7, Pena 3, Chiovitti, Spitzer 2.
Blocks — Holy Family: Franz 6, Cribari 4, Spitzer, Johannsen.
Assists — Holy Family: Cribari 53, Nelson, Johannsen.
Aces — Holy Family: Chiovitti 3, Johannsen.
Digs — Holy Family: Chiovitti 19, Weerstra 18, Johannsen 15, Nelson 9, Cribari 9, Pena 5, Spitzer 2, Fiesher, Franz.
