4A: Montrose poses question marks

Attitude different after Indians went 4-15 last season

Alan Pearce, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, November 8, 2007

The Class 4A state volleyball tournament has its favorite, undefeated Berthoud, and its shadow warriors, such as Montrose and Cherokee Trail.

Montrose hasn't qualified for state since 1995, and the Indians are a hard team to figure out. They finished second while hosting districts but came away last week as Region D champion after a long trip to Pueblo.

That regional championship included a victory against Battle Mountain, the defending Class 4A champion, which had only two previous losses.

What makes the Montrose run even more significant is that the Indians went 4-15 last season, falling one win short of even qualifying for districts.

So what has happened to elevate the team to the fourth seed at state, with an 18-8 record?

"People keep asking me that, and I'm not sure I have an answer," Montrose coach Shane Forrest said. "I think we just have a different attitude this year. We don't have girls who play club over here, so just the experience they've had on varsity has been important."

Montrose counts on a quartet of players: seniors Lauren Cooling and Sydney Rowan, and juniors Brianna Verble and Ana Finley. While all four have done well individually, Forrest believes they have had an even bigger impact as a whole.

"They've elevated the play of kids around them," she said. "Last year, we were very error-prone, and we're just not doing that this year. They have a winning attitude and they've provided leadership."

Cooling and Rowan excel at hitting and digging, and Rowan is one of the state leaders in assists. Finley, a back-row player who moved over from Skyline High School in Longmont, is credited by Forrest with a "phenomenal ability" to read attackers.

Cherokee Trail, in only its fourth season of varsity ball, is heading to state for the first time.

The seventh-seeded Cougars already are anticipating a match against No. 3 Regis, the sixth match of pool play Friday. Cougars outside hitter Bri Morley and setter Lindsay Baca are cousins, and their aunt, Laura Dunston, coaches Regis.

"It's definitely going to motivate us more, because it's a family rivalry," Morley said. "It's all we hear from our side of the family: 'You'd better beat Regis or we'll never live it down.' It's a touchy subject."

Cougars coach Terry Miller takes pride in his team's 21-5 record. Other than a stumble against Northglenn, Cherokee Trail has quality losses. Also, the other teams that beat the Cougars (Berthoud, Cheyenne Mountain, Highlands Ranch and Holy Family) all are state qualifiers.

"Those are top five teams in their (classifications) and we were with them right there all the way," Miller said. "We didn't get shut out by any of them."

The Cougars lost to Greeley West in five games last year in a regional crossover, falling a few points short of a state berth. This season, they have improved markedly on that 17-5 record.

Miller said his team won its second Skyline League title but didn't bring up how the Cougars went undefeated in those matches, running up a 33-1 count in league games.

Morley, a Metro State recruit, said such success has been a bit stunning.

"Before this season started, I think we had a better team last year," she said. "But there's just more heart as a whole. I think all 14 of us this year wanted it. Last year, a few of us wanted it and some didn't."

So, this is a season for Montrose and Cherokee Trail to celebrate.

"We're coming out of the shadows," Forrest said. "I hope my girls can handle it, because they really don't know what (state) is like. We only have one girl who has ever seen a match at state."