ALAMOSA - Scanning an enemy alignment through the strings for the last time as a prep player, Kirstie Hillyer was seen executing a combination exhale-inhale move before last Saturday's final serve went up.
The exhale? One out of relief, knowing her signature smash scoring the previous point had put the All-State White Team on game and match point, and confidence in a teammate's ability to zip the ball over to start quickly ticking away the Black Team's final seconds.
The inhale? One out of reflection. She was not only ready to defend according to wherever Black might try to mount an attack, but also to promptly depart Alamosa and Adams State University to begin - with father Rich, mother Laura and older brother Derek - the long drive north to Fort Collins and a waiting Colorado State University.
"I was so excited," recalled the graduated Bayfield Wolverine middle. "Because we've worked all our high-school careers and we were invited here-just being able to play in this game was a big success for us!"
As was the White's subsequent, successful lifting and holding of Hillyer above and parallel to the court. Hillyer's serve fell in for an ace, and her squad won a 25-14, 23-25, 25-22 triumph in the 59th Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games' volleyball championship.
"All those girls, they've had the most fun in two days.what a rare opportunity!" said BHS Head Coach Terene Foutz, the White team's coach. "To set a kid like that.they may never get to set a kid with that kind of reach in their college careers. And they had a great time. It really was a fun mix; I enjoyed every kid on that team."
"Everybody kind of gave up something, probably, because they're all stars on their own teams," noted BHS/White assistant Tom Jensen, "but then they all just worked together and it was great."
"Within the span of two days this team really bonded and became one, and I think that's what it takes," he continued. "And in Game Three, when things got tight, it just takes a bond.and they did it."
Coming off a 25-13, 25-20 sweep of Blue in that morning's semifinals, White went right back to work in Game 1 against Black before the Rene Aafedt-mentored bunch battled back in Game 2 behind three of Aafedt's Gilcrest Valley Lady Vikings. This wasn't surprising to Hillyer nor the Bayfield coaches, having seen VHS often at the Class 3A state championships in recent seasons.
"We knew going in that, by Valley's reputation-by Rene's reputation-they were going to be a very defensive team," Foutz said. "We're a very offensive team, and so our hope was that our serve-receive pass would hold, and that we could establish offense early in the game."
"In our two practice sessions.that was the focus," she continued, "and in the end they had the confidence to finish hard. That was really fun to watch."
"I love learning, and this is a learning experience for me," said Jensen. "We have the best players here and I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. So it's just humbling.I had a fun weekend."
"I'm just happy to be here and happy to be able to play, and move on to the next step!" Hillyer said. "So being able to win it was even more of a success."
"I would honestly rate my team as a '10,'" she stated. "These girls were awesome to play with, they were all fun, we all got along.they were amazing players and I'm so happy they were on my team."
