Kelly Walsh Volleyball Wins at Laramie [VIDEOS, AUDIO]

The battle between the top two 4A volleyball teams went to No. 2 Kelly Walsh last Thursday night, as they beat top-ranked Laramie.

The Trojans dropped the first set of the match before rallying to win the next three in Laramie. Scores of the match went 16-25, 25-22, 25-22, and 26-24. Here are some of the highlights.

Laramie started well, as the Plainsmen controlled the first set. They jumped out 6-1 and never trailed. They led by as many as ten and closed it out, 25-16.

Set two featured ten ties and five lead changes. Kelly Walsh led by four early in the set. Laramie battled back and tied it at 13-13. After a tie at 19-19, the Trojans scored six of the final nine points and won the set, 25-22.

The third saw the Plainsmen get out to a 7-2 lead. Kelly Walsh rallied and forced a tie at 13-13. After a couple of lead changes, the Trojans took the lead for good at 16-15. Laramie answered and tied it at 19-19, but Kelly Walsh capitalized on some errors by the Plainsmen and won the set, 25-22.

For the second straight set, Laramie held an early 7-2 lead in set four. The lead reached seven points, at 14-7, but the Trojans never went away. They worked their way back into the set and finally tied it, at 23-23. Another tie at 24-24 was followed by three straight points for Kelly Walsh and the match victory.

WyoPreps talked with juniors Peyton Carruth and Abi Milby after the Trojans’ win.

Kelly Walsh head coach Jeff Barkell pointed to his squad settling down after a slow start, playing good defense and getting good swings. He also touched on how his team can gain confidence with this victory and took advantage of Laramie’s errors. Barkell fully understands that you can’t let your guard down in 4A this season.

Both teams won their matches on Saturday, as Kelly Walsh defeated Cheyenne South and Laramie beat Sheridan. Both are 24-2 on the season. They both have two wins over each other in the 2021 season.