(Jayne Simpson/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — They are both ranked, though they hail from different classes.
And yet, despite the difference in size between the two schools, Class 3A No. 4 Colorado Springs Christian and 5A No. 7 Denver East played at equal levels in a cross-classification volleyball match, with close sets early, and energy coming from teams on both sides of the net.
In a four-set match, Denver East left with a win (25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 25-14) on the evening, but not without a fight from the Lions.
“Our girls come from all over the map,” said Denver East coach Tarah Sponenberg, whose team has alternated wins and losses over the past six matches, “and it’s been tough to get them all in rhythm. It’s our constant focus in practice and in games.”
The first set on Tuesday ended in a 25-23 victory for the Angels, and was a tight one throughout. The Lions opened the set with a two-point lead and early kills from seniors Jamie Nielson and Abby Skrastins.
Denver East junior Chase Jackson made her own mark and evened the score out to 3-3, but struggled to keep her attempts inbounds. Colorado Springs Christian keeps its two-point lead and a score of 8-6, but points added by the Angels’ Maya Patterson and Asiya Way evened the set at 12-12 halfway through the set.
Denver East then took a one-point lead following a kill from freshman Lexi Blair. Blair went on to add several more points, and with the help of her teammates, gained a three-point lead at 20-17.
The set stayed close and the gap small, eventually coming back to tie at 21. Points from Lions’ Cassie Davis and Nielson were answered by the Angels’ Way, and the set sat at 23-24 in favor of Denver East, but a missed spike by CSCS sealed the Denver win in the first set.
The second set was also a close one, with the Lions again taking an early lead over the Angels. With two aces from Skrastins opening the set at 2-0, the Denver East played hard and tied the score at 6-6.
Out of bounds hits and dropped passes, along with kills and long plays from both sides kept the score close and tied until 14-14. From there, the Lions took off, but not without a fight. After scoring five consecutive points, Colorado Springs Christian took a 23-17 lead, which was momentarily threaded by East with kills from Jackson and Blair.
However, the momentum didn’t stick with East, and the Lions took the set 25-19.
The third set showed a change of pace as both teams appeared to become tired. Close and tied at 4, it looked to be another competitive set.
But with more than five points spread across the Denver East players in a short amount of time, the Angels found themselves in a comfortable lead at 13-8. Following a CSCS timeout, the Lions came back within two, but it wasn’t enough.
With over 10 kills in the match, Jackson, Patterson and Way continued pounding balls inside, extending the East lead to 22-14. The Lions fought hard and cut the lead, but the Angels were a little too far out of reach, and took the third set 25-20.
In the fourth set, East took an early lead over CSCS and the Lions never truly caught up. East took a nine-point lead, and Colorado Springs Christian fought to close the gap, coming within seven points, but lost momentum. East on the final set 25-13.
“It was a little disappointing,” said Colorado Springs Christian coach Lori Currier.
The coach added that her team has been focusing on building a strong mental game, and felt that “in that last set, especially, we were just not there mentally.”
With more big matches coming up, the Lions are looking to build a morale and a mental toughness that can bring the team some wins. Skrastins, a senior, was a huge part of the team’s mentality over the course of the night.
Skrastins scored a high number of her team’s points, and was cheering hard for the Lions inbetween plays.
“That kid can play,” Sponenberg said.