BASALT – The Basalt Longhorns volleyball team rallied from a one-game deficit to beat rival Roaring Fork 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 27-25) and maintain a perfect mark in the Class 3A Western Slope League.

After dropping the first game Basalt (3-0 WSL, 9-3 overall) won the next three games by three points or less.

“To lose the first game and come back and win the next three shows a lot of persistence,” Basalt coach Billy Miller said.

Neither team was able to get much offensive rhythm going in the game, as both teams spent much of the time reacting to shots instead of initiating the play.

“We pretty much were pathetic the whole night,” said Roaring Fork coach Karen Crownhart. “I was disappointed. We just could not get in the groove and we’re such a better team than that.”

“There was a lot of digging going on,” added Miller. “It was a very defensive game and there were a lot of bodies on the floor.”

With the offenses unable to get untracked, the defensive play at the net proved to be key. Robin Childs paced the Longhorns with 16 blocks and seven kills, while Lauren Redfern posted eight blocks and eight kills.

Miller also singled out defensive specialists Jessica Barnes, Jenny Hamby and Gwen Leslie.

“They kept us alive,” Miller said. “They were getting every thing up and keeping the ball off the floor.”

After winning the first game, Roaring Fork (2-2, 6-3) led the second game by as many as nine points. The Longhorns, however, were able to claw back and finished off the game with a 8-2 run.

Basalt won the second game by an identical 25-22 score.

The third game was pushed into extended play. Jenny Hamby finished off the Rams with an ace that hit the net and rolled over to the Rams side.