Niwot sweeps Mountain View for eighth straight win

Losing a star player never helps a team, but the absence of standout middle hitter Zoe Gibbs didn't seem to hurt the Niwot volleyball team in its home match against Mountain View (4-13, 1-10) on Oct. 8. With both veterans and newcomers taking up the slack, the Cougars swept the Lions in three easy sets (25-14, 25-11, 25-11) for their eighth straight victory and sole possession of first place in the Longs Peak League.

"The rest of this team is talented enough and willing to take on the challenge," Niwot head coach Daisha Agho said after her team's 13th win of the season. "Coming into tonight, Giselle [Grier] practiced on the outside several times. We practice players in every single position just for that reason, so if we have to put someone in a different spot, then we are all comfortable playing there."

Gibbs suffered a minor injury during practice on Oct. 6, and could miss up to two weeks, the coach said, but the team's performance on Friday has eased her worries over it. With senior Morgan Daugherty and junior Paige Demosthenes keying the offense, the Cougars were able to maintain sizable leads throughout all three sets, and rarely, if ever, played from behind.

Grier, a sophomore, proved to be a reliable substitute for Gibbs, at least against the Lions. The sophomore had five kills on the night, as well as a block and two digs. Also stepping up for Niwot was sophomore Addison Engle, who ended the night with a season-high eight kills, and added another four blocks to bring her team-leading total to 41.

Demosthenes and Daugherty were a force for Niwot on the outside, with seven kills each. Daugherty now has 129 kills on the season, behind only Gibbs with 146. Afterwards, Daugherty echoed her coach's sentiments about the team's depth, and willingness to fill in for the fallen teammate.

"I feel like as a team we were able to come together and actually play for Zoe even though she's out," she said. "Our team dynamic is so strong that we were able to come back and battle, not just for Zoe, but for ourselves without Zoe."

With the win, Niwot moved to 13-3 on the year, with just a handful of games left on the 2021 schedule. Fortunately, most of their toughest foes are behind them for now, and Agho is looking ahead to ending the regular season on a strong note, even if the Cougars aren't quite at full strength.

"I really liked what I saw tonight," she said. "It's really nice to have that versatility within the team, and it keeps the confidence high."

Niwot volleyball is back in action at Northridge on Oct. 14, and then returns home to face Riverdale Ridge on Oct. 19.