Buffs battle to 2-0 start in conference play

Whaley reaches 1,000 assists

The Buffs kicked off conference play with two hard-earned wins against Rocky Mountain and Hot Springs County last week, putting them at 2-0.

“These were obviously important conference matches for us.  It was really a team effort for us, with all our girls contributing significantly,” head volleyball coach Sara Schlattmann said. “We have talked a lot about being role players and I felt like everyone really embraced their roles and took a lot of pressure off of any one player having to carry too much weight.”

The team traveled to Cowley on Friday, topping the Grizzlies in four sets: 25-18, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20. The team saw a huge improvement in serving, going 93%. Wyatt Whaley, Shayne Cheatham, Ellie Holloway and Perla Rodriguez all served over 90% for Greybull. Holloway led with 17 kills, followed by Marlee Henson with 12 and Perla Rodriguez and Camila Acuna with 10 each. Whaley added 46 assists to her record. 

The team truly showed its grit against Thermopolis Saturday, coming back from a two-set deficit to beat the Bobcats: 23-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-14, 15-4. Setter Whaley also reached a career milestone, surmounting 1,000 assists. 

“That is a significant achievement for a junior,” Schlattmann said. “She has done a tremendous job directing the offense for our team the past two years.”

Again, the Buffs exceeded their 90% serving goal with 92% success. Schlattmann noted that Brooklyn Allen came off the bench with a perfect 18 for 18, sparking a huge shift in the momentum. Whaley, Acuna, Holloway, Rodriguez and Cheatham were also over 90%, led by Holloway with six aces. Caitlyn Hunt added another two aces for the Buffs. 

Rodriguez led the attack line, with a sounding 18 kills. Holloway followed with 13, Acuna 10, Henson nine and Hunt two. On defense, Henson was the team’s strongest blocker, with Holloway and Cheatham teaming up for over 20 digs. 

“Two great conference wins,” Schlattmann said. “I was so proud of the girls for not giving up, particularly when we were facing quite a deficit in Thermopolis, down two sets.”

This week, the Buffs hosted their annual Pink Game with Riverside Tuesday after deadline.  On Friday, they travel to Shoshoni for a pivotal conference match, with games at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. 

“Shoshoni has a tough serving game that we know we will need to adjust to,” Schlattmann said.  “They hustle and will be very scrappy.”

Saturday, the Buffs travel to Dayton to play No. 2-ranked Tongue River in a nonconference match. Schlattmann anticipated a fast-paced offense from the Eagles, a highly competitive game.