The 12-seed Manitou Springs Volleyball team beat out 8-seed Holy Family in a five-game thriller for the first round of State on Saturday, November 9.

This was the team’s first trip to State since 2005, and the expectations were running high.

“They were all overwhelmed, but this group knows what to expect,” said Manitou head coach Carol Benedict.

The first game was played conservatively by both sides, but the Mustangs edged Holy Family by a score of 25-20.

Holy Family took the second game, winning 25-19. Playing in the Denver Colliseum, as opposed to the small high school gym, may have hindered Manitou; many Mustangs uncharacteristically served and hit easy balls out of bounds.

The girls fought hard to regain their momentum, but some costly errors in game three led to a 26-24 win for Holy Family.

Game four was another hard-fought battle by both sides, with Manitou managing to stay alive by winning 25-20.

The match and Manitou’s State dreams came down to a game five, where the Mustangs won an incredibly close game 18-16, upsetting Holy Family.

Benedict reacted to the Mustangs’ comeback victory.

“This is one team that, when they get behind, I don’t even worry about,” said Benedict. “They played behind eachother, and they know how to pull through.”

In the next round, Manitou will face a powerhouse in 1-seed Valley Christian.

“It’s going to be tough. They’re number one and they know that. If we play well against Valley, we can beat anybody. We just have to play well,” said Benedict.

By Keegan Bockhorst