The gym was loud, the stakes were high, and the intensity in the eyes of players was unmistakable.
The setting was the Class 2A Regional Volleyball Tournament, which was held in Dolores on Nov. 1, and a spot in the state volleyball tournament was on the line.
Entering the three-team tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Dolores High School volleyball team liked its chances. In the weeks before the tournament, the Bears had won 10 straight matches and were crowned District Champions.
Opening Regionals against Mancos, the Bears had little difficulty dispatching their cross-town rivals, winning 25-11, 25-12, 25-20.
Keying the Dolores victory was solid hitting by Courtney Blackmer, Taylor Elder and Beth Brown and outstanding defense by Larissa Umberger and Kelly Charles.
The Bears took a break before playing the Cedaredge Bruins, which defeated Mancos 25-23, 25-15, 26-24.
Both teams knew that a victory would qualify them for them for state, and the energy level was high.
Playing with confidence, Cedaredge won the first game 25-19 and the second game 25-18, thanks to numerous kills by Mackenzie Kehmeier and Kristin Gardner.
In the third game, Dolores began to find its rhythm and after tying the game 13-13 after a kill by Taylor Elder, the Bears embarked on an 8-1 run to take a 21-14 advantage. Dolores won the game 25-17 after a hard hit by Elder ricochet off the hands of a Cedaredge blocker.
Playing well in the fourth game, the Bears found themselves leading 24-21 after a perfect tip by Umberger. After Cedaredge won the subsequent point, a line violation by the Bruins gave the Bears the set.
Fired up to see their team back in the match, Dolores fans roared their approval. Bears players exchanged high fives.
"We have so many good fans," said Brown after the match. "They are supportive whether we are home or away, and I think we owe a lot to them for always being positive."
Doing everything they could to win the fifth game, Dolores found itself tied with Cedaredge 6-6 after Blackmer smashed down her fifth kill of the game.
After Cedaredge pulled ahead 8-6 after an ace by Gardner, Dolores called timeout to talk things over.
The Bears then turned to Elder, who tied things 8-8 with a block and put Dolores ahead 10-8 after consecutive kills. Three more kills by Elder later in the game put the Bears ahead 14-11. A serving error by Cedaredge ended the match.
"I was just trying to keep it in and hit the corners," said Elder when asked about her hitting in the fifth set. "I'm so excited."
As fans flooded the court and players shed tears and exchanged hugs, Blackmer, who led the Bears in kills, took a moment to talk about her team's victory.
"(Qualifying for state) is what I've been dreaming of since fifth grade, and finally it happened," said the Bears junior. "Our heart, our love for volleyball and our want to go to state allowed us to turn things around."
With their record now at 18-6 on the season, the Bears will begin preparing for the Class 2A State Tournament, which will take place in Denver, Nov. 7-8. The Bears will enter the 12-team tournament seeded 12th. Dolores will play top-seeded Yuma on Nov. 7 and Colorado Springs School on Nov. 8.
Asked about her team's goals for the state tournament, Brown said that they have yet to be determined.
"We haven't really thought about it," said Brown. "(Qualifying for state) was the goal all season. I guess we'll figure out our new goals on Monday."