Big Park Community School [12-7], in its third and final matchup with host Clarkdale-Jerome School, left the Small Schools State Volleyball championships winless following a 25-23, 25-21 loss.

“It was so close,” outgoing Coyotes coach Shelley Woellmer said. “It could’ve gone either way. The score didn’t quite show it, but we made them play one of the best pre-championship games I’ve seen.”

The Coyotes battled back from an early 4-1 deficit in the first game to take a 16-14 lead behind a level of play Woellmer had not seen all year from her team.

“It was delightful to have such long rallies [and] great defensive play,” she said. “Kids diving across the court, looking for the ball, anticipating — compared to the last couple of matches, it was awesome to see them play so well.”

The Coyotes re-took the lead, 21-20, when Kelsey Woellmer, as her mother and coach put it, did not “let anything through defensively.”

But eighth-grader Hayli Sizelove’s bump flew out of bounds to force game point, which the Mingus Rams took on a Sarah Williams kill.

For the full story, please see the Friday, Nov. 7, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.