Lady Grizzlies battle through busy week

Ready for Conference Play

The Rocky Mountain High School volleyball team crammed in five matches over three days last week, showing toughness, adaptability and a fighting spirit as they prepared to launch into conference play during Homecoming Week.

The Grizzlies opened on the road Thursday, Sept. 18, at Powell, a strong 3A program. Rocky battled through three tight sets before running out of steam in the fourth, falling 22-25, 25-20, 20-25, 13-25.

Senior hitter Lauren Bassett led the charge with 10 kills and five blocks, while Charlee Welling and Halle Grandalen added five kills apiece. Setter Keylee Christiansen dished out 13 assists, and Rocky’s serving was sharp with a 95% success rate, missing only four serves. Three players, Layla Gardner, Grandalen and Kamryn Welling, were perfect from the line.

“I was very proud of the girls and how hard they played against a 3A opponent,” RMHS head coach Kay Townsend said. “We hung with them for the first three sets. Maybe we ran out of fight a little in the fourth, but they left it all on the floor.”

Greybull tournament

The Grizzlies then traveled to Greybull for a four-match stretch across Friday and Saturday.

Vs. Saratoga (Sept. 19): Rocky grabbed the first set 25-17 but dropped the second and lost a nail-biting third, 15-17. Bassett pounded 14 kills, Christiansen logged 12 assists on 52 sets and Gardner added four assists. “We were way down in that game and the girls pulled it together and fought hard,” Townsend said. “That told me a lot about this group — they don’t give up.”

Vs. Kemmerer (Sept. 19): Rocky bounced back quickly, sweeping the Rangers 25-18, 25-18. Every player tallied at least one kill, showing a balanced attack. Grandalen (seven kills) and Bassett (six) led the way, while Christiansen dished 16 assists. 

“Our serving wasn’t where I wanted it, we had 12 missed serves, but the way the attack was spread out was exciting. Everyone contributed,” Coach Townsend said.

Vs. Big Piney (Sept. 20): Saturday morning’s clash turned into a dogfight, with Rocky edging out the Punchers 25-16, 21-25, 16-14. Christiansen delivered five aces, Cooley added three and Bassett and Grandalen chipped in one each. Bassett had eight kills, with Welling and Grandalen contributing four each. “We fought hard against Big Piney,” Townsend said. “The last two sets were close, but the girls found a way to finish.”

Vs. Farson-Eden (Sept. 20): The Grizzlies capped the weekend with a hard-fought 2-1 victory (25-18, 20-25, 15-13). Grandalen powered down eight kills, Bassett seven and Cooley six, while Bassett and Grandalen combined for eight blocks. Christiansen ran the offense with 23 assists. “We had great blocking in that match,” Townsend said. “Lauren and Halle both came up big at the net, and Keylee’s setting gave us steady scoring chances.”

Adjustments and outlook

Looking to this week, Coach Townsend emphasized the changes she made in the team’s offensive system.

“I tweaked the lineup this weekend, changing from a 6-2 to a 5-1. The girls handled it exceptionally well,” she said. “I also switched my two outsides, and again they handled the tweak with excellence. This team is very coachable and will find a way to do what I am asking of them.”

Looking at the bigger picture, she added, “I find this team is very good at digging out of holes and coming back and fighting hard and getting the win in most cases.”

Homecoming Week

The Lady Grizzlies opened Homecoming Week at home against Lovell on Tuesday in a tough non-conference test. They now turn their focus to their first two conference matches at home against Greybull Friday (4 and 5 p.m.) and Shoshoni Saturday (1 and 2 p.m.), looking to carry the lessons of a demanding week into games that matter most.

“Practices will stay intense,” Townsend said. “We’ll keep working on serving, defensive covering and blocking as we get ready for conference play.”

Lovell match

The 2A Lady Grizzlies faced one of the top 3A teams in the state when Lovell came to town for a midweek homecoming matchup Tuesday. Rocky pushed hard in the opening set but came up just short, 25–21. From there, momentum swung Lovell’s way as the Bulldogs closed out the next two sets 25–10 and 25–15.

Coach Townsend told her players to put the loss in perspective.

“I told them to think about the game for five minutes and then let it go,” she said. “We’ve got important matches coming up this weekend. Our team goal is to finish with a winning conference record, so that’s where our focus has to be. We need to stay mentally strong through every set.”

In the 2A Northwest, Rocky Mountain leads the way with a 13-6 record, followed by Greybull at 10-8. Shoshoni sits at 7-12, while Thermopolis trails at 4-12.

In the 2A Southwest, Big Piney holds the top spot at 6-13 overall and 1-0 in league play. Wyoming Indian follows at 4-13, Wind River at 3-18 and Kemmerer at 2-21 (0-1 conference).