FREDERICK -- With the volleyball postseason drawing ever closer, every match from here on out means a little bit more. On Thursday night on its home court, Frederick gave itself just the boost it needed to stay amid the top 36 teams destined for the postseason.
The Golden Eagles, who were ranked No. 35 in CHSAA's Class 5A Selection & Seeding Index coming into the match, defeated No. 14 Monarch in four sets (25-20, 19-25, 25-23 and 30-28). The players have been keeping their eyes on the number next to their name as just three matches remain in the regular season now.
This win pushed them to 11-9.
"That's why we came out really hard tonight against Monarch, because they swept (No. 13) Niwot in three," senior libero Tatianna Staab said. "I think this is a big boost in our confidence. We beat them last year in five and we beat them this year in four."
Staab, in her final season, has been a driving force behind the Golden Eagles' success. She passed the 1,000-dig career mark a few weeks ago, and sat at 1,269 prior to Thursday night's contest. She said that the seasoned team just wants to go out with a bang, no matter where it lands for regionals.
"The majority of this team are seniors," Staab explained. "There are only two underclassmen on this team, and it's our last season. I think we all really want just a good season and a good fight in our last season together."
The two squads were well-matched, and no lead was safe throughout the night. The Coyotes opened up the first set with an 8-1 run, but the Golden Eagles battled all the way back to steal the win 25-20. The Coyotes controlled the second from start to finish, eventually rewarding themselves with the 25-19 berth.
That foreshadowed what would transpire through the last two frames.
The Golden Eagles scored six straight points toward the beginning of the third, but even as they once led 13-7, the Coyotes made sure they would earn every single point from there on out. Frederick eventually won out at 25-23, before claiming an even more competitive fourth set 30-28.
Ava Maliawco, who's led the Coyotes on the attack this year, said that second-year head coach Kyle Becker has helped transform the program with overall mindset and skill development. With a 14-5 record, the Coyotes are all but guaranteed to make the postseason, barring something catastrophic through their final four matches.
"I think (this match) will help us just honestly lock in, in a way," Maliawco said. "We need to learn how to lose. Sure, we've had some losses, but this one just made us kind of wake up. We know we have the skill. We have to trust each other. That was a big thing that happened tonight. We weren't really trusting."
The Coyotes will look to rebound when they head to Mead next Tuesday, while the Golden Eagles will prepare for Longmont on the same night. Frederick hopes it has just enough juice left to stay in the running for regionals.
"Last year, we moved up to 5A," Frederick head coach Kay Kay Martinez said. "I think that was a big change for the girls, and we came out with a winning record. These girls have the fire, have a good group of seniors and they have the fire to go to regionals and make a run for state. They're willing to do anything to get there."