Down two sets to none in their elimination match against Wiley, the Dove Creek volleyball team could easily have gone quietly into the evening.
Not this group. Not with 27 wins to their credit. Not with four seniors playing each point like their final one.
Dove Creek brought the intensity of a team on a mission into their elimination bracket Friday action, and after closing out No. 10 Otis in three sets to open the day, the ‘Dogs battled No. 6 Wiley in one of the best matches of the tournament, falling in four sets, 25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 29-27.
The Bulldogs had three set points in the fourth set with a chance to force a decisive fifth, but Wiley answered with big kills of their own, leaving the Bulldogs with a 2-2 record at the tournament, just one match short of playing on championship Saturday.
On the Denver Coliseum floor, DC stood as one of eight teams still standing in the 1A field, thanks to their 25-19, 25-11, 25-18 victory over Otis. The ‘Dogs dictated the pace of the contest all morning, as sophomore Ralynn Hickman and senior Trista Barnett assaulted the Otis defense with constant aerial strikes.
Meanwhile, the back line with seniors Rylee Hickman and Destiny Toledo kept plays alive for Lacey Murphy’s unit. In the end, Dove Creek proved too much, as they had much of the season, and advanced to the final eight to face the Wiley Panthers.
A slow start in the opening set, down 16-9 at the midpoint, set the Bulldogs back – but a major rally helped putt them within two at 18-16. Wiley answered with their own mini-run to restore a five point edge, but again DC put together a rally.
Down 23-21, Dove Creek couldn’t close the gap any further, and Wiley took the opening set, 25-22.
The second frame played out eerily similar to the first, with Dove Creek in an immense hole, down 20-10. However, the ‘Dogs showed incredible fight, climbing all the way back to tie the score at 23. Wiley, though, found the grit of a team that was also on the brink, and tallied the final two points to snatch the second set 25-23.
It was only a matter of time for DC to fully flex their muscles, as the Dogs dominated the third set, thanks to powerful hitting from Barnett and senior Lexi Gray. Dove Creek turned a 13-13 tie into a 21-14 lead thanks to junior Kylie Gatlin controlling the net and sister Kalie Gatlin serving up sets that propelled the offense to a level that San Juan Basin League teams have become all-too-familiar.
The ‘Dogs took the third set 25-16, and held the momentum as they built a 14-11 lead in the fourth set.
Wiley scored five of the next seven points, though, to reclaim the lead. From there, the teams traded points, both teams aggressive in the search of a decisive run. DC took a 24-23 lead on a Ralynn Hickman kill, but couldn’t close out the set on any of their three subsequent set points.
Instead, Wiley made a couple of huge kills in the final moments, keeping their season alive and ending the incredible campaign for Dove Creek.
DC finished a 27-2 season, a year that will rank among the all-time best in program history. The ‘Dogs only dropped 12 sets all season, while capturing a league and regional title in the process. The senior class of Gray, Barnett, Rylee Hickman and Destiny Toledo capped a four year stretch with a record of 84-13 and back-to-back state tournament appearances.
