DENVER — The Yuma girls volleyball team was tired of finishing second.
The Indians were runner-up for three consecutive years at the Class 2A girls state basketball tournament.
Last year Yuma finished second at the 2A volleyball tournament, watching Resurrection Christian win its second straight title.
Faced with the task of meeting Resurrection Christian in this year’s state final, the Indians were determined to change fate.
It took five games, but Yuma brought the state championship trophy back to the northeast corner of the state with a hard-fought 17-25, 29-27, 25-21, 21-25, 15-7 victory over the Cougars.
“It means everything to us,” Yuma senior outside hitter Tara Traphagan said.
Yuma’s last and only previous volleyball championship was 1990, in 3A.
(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The Indians knew the daunting task facing them, Traphagan said. But they couldn’t worry about what Resurrection Christian was going to do.
“We just knew we had to take care of our side,” she said.
Traphagan was Yuma’s major force in the deciding game. At 4-4, the Indians reeled off eight straight points including two kills, a tip and a direct with her at the net.
“I just told myself there’s no way we’re losing this game,” Traphagan said.
“She was on fire tonight,” Yuma coach Jenny Noble said.
The team was not where it needed to be at mid-season, Noble said, so she tweaked the lineup. The changes worked as the team’s fortunes took a rise.
Resurrection Christian traditionally has some big hitters, and this year was no different. The Indians countered that with strong play at the net.
“Our blocking was huge tonight,” Noble said.
Yuma’s celebration was increased when it joined another school from the northeast corner, Otis, in celebrating a state title. The Bulldogs went five games to capture the 1A crown.