Roosevelt facing a tall order

Roughriders must beat Valley to advance in 3A

Scott Stocker, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, November 10, 2007

While Roosevelt entered the Class 3A state volleyball tournament as the No. 8 seed, no one was about to tell the Roughriders they could not win the title. However, they still have a tall task ahead.

Roosevelt beat top-seeded Manitou Springs 3-2 in the first round of Pool 1 action at the Denver Coliseum, and the Roughriders did it in dramatic fashion.

They lost the first two games 24-26 and 20-25, but behind the steady all-around play of sophomore outside hitter Megan Velasquez, rallied to win the next three 25-17, 25-22, 15-13.

But Roosevelt faltered in the second round, losing to Holy Family 3-0 and now must beat Patriot League rival Valley to advance.

Making the situation all the more interesting for the Roughriders is that coach Geneva Morford is seeking to win her third state title at a third school. She guided Eaton to the 3A title in 1993 and Longmont to the Class 4A championship in 1996.

"We just had to get momentum, hit the ball and keep trying hard," Velasquez, said. "It seems like we have been putting ourselves in these types of positions all season long. We kind of surprise ourselves, too. The harder we are pressed, the harder we seem to respond."

Velasquez came through with 21 kills and 24 digs. Alex Morford also had a big match, with 18 kills and 32 assists, and Sendy Valles had 16 kills and seven blocks.

There was no giving up in the second match for Roosevelt. The Roughriders simply couldn't overcome Holy Family's 6-foot trio of Jessica Giltner, Kristin Herlihy and Kelly Biette.

Now, the Tigers of coach Trisha Kroll find themselves in a commanding position, 2-0 in Pool 2 and with a berth in the semifinals. They will face Manitou Springs in the final pool game today.

"Roosevelt is definitely a good team," Giltner said after Holy Family improved to 26-2. "We have a very strong front row and just needed to play as we have been. Manitou came in the No. 1 seed, and we are not about to overlook them."

In Pool 2, much of the attention turned to Colorado Springs Christian, which is seeking to win a fourth consecutive title. The

Lions didn't have an easy opener, either, as it took five games to beat Tri-Peaks League and crosstown rival The Classical Academy.

Morgan Broekhuis, the sophomore daughter of coach Mike Broekhuis, was dynamic at the net for the Lions. The No. 6 seed improved to 21-7 with the victory against the third-seeded Titans. It also received a strong outing from Bethany Beck and Brianne Vande Griend as the trio overcame the play of Lydia Blaha and Lindsay Thayer.

The Classical Academy came back to beat its second Tri-Peaks opponent, Lamar, 3-0. Again, it was Blaha and Thayer providing much of the offensive punch. The Titans play Faith Christian in their third round of pool play.

Faith Christian (23-5), the No. 2 seed, beat Lamar 3-1 in the opening round but lost to Colorado Springs Christian 3-0 in the second round.

Pool play resumes at 8 a.m. today, with the semifinals to follow. The championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m.

stockers@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5275