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Photo by Hans Hallgren

MCHS volleyball coach Brianna Montgomery urges on her team Saturday. Next up for the Bulldogs is Steamboat Springs High School at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.

After a hard-fought and well-played first three games, the Glenwood Springs High School girls varsity volleyball team appeared Saturday to be wearing down Moffat County High School's squad.

After Moffat County took the first game in the team's first home meet of the season, Glenwood claimed the next two, and the Demons jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the fourth match, and stretched it to an 11-2 advantage.

The Bulldogs then found some fresh legs.

The Demons' lead was clipped to 16-5, and then 20-10.

Senior Tasha Romney had a talk with her teammates.

"I never thought it was over," she said. "I went in and tried to get my team back up. I was just trying to get the fire back in us."

Three unanswered points cut Glenwood Springs' lead to 20-13, and after another Demon point, Moffat County went on a tear.

"We just started playing better," Romney said.

Six straight points put the Bulldogs at striking distance, 21-19.

But, as quickly as Moffat County had scored its previous six points, the Demons tallied four more to take the match and the game, 3-1.

Brianna Montgomery, MCHS head coach, said her team came out strong in wining the first game, 25-19, but slowed down and allowed Glenwood Springs to take the next two games, 26-24 and 25-23.

"Overall, I was pleased with how the girls played," she said. "But, it was a lot like Rifle - they came out really sharp, but cooled off."

Montgomery said the team leaned heavily on Romney, the team's lead put-away hitter.

But, even with an inspired and gritty comeback in the last game, Glenwood was able to survive.

"They dug in," Montgomery said. "But, it might have been too little, too late. You can't let a good team like Glenwood get up by that many points."

Glenwood coach Amber Sutherland said she never felt safe with her team's lead as Moffat County made its push.

"I can't say it wasn't predictable," she said. "With a big lead, some of the athletes sat back when they needed to keep pushing."

Being able to win a conference game on the road said a lot about her team, Sutherland said.

"Moffat County is hard," she said. "I'm proud of all of them for being able to come in and pull out a win."