1A state volleyball: Kit Carson caps record-setting season with title win
DENVER — Kit Carson volleyball capped an undefeated season with a Class 1A state championship — and they did it without dropping a set the entire season.
78 sets, 78 wins. And man, were the last three the sweetest.
“Unexplainable,” Kit Carson’s Micayla Isenbart said after the title win. “It’s an experience I can’t explain. We have so much fun together, and our community is awesome. So blessed.”
Kit Carson swept Fleming to avenge a 3-0 loss to Fleming in the 2016 state title.
“This is just a special group,” Kit Carson coach Penny Isenbart said. “I was just trying to stay out of their way. They’ve played loose all year, and that’s worked for them. That has really worked for them.They love the sport of volleyball and they had fun.
“I think that’s the key because sometimes girls don’t always have fun when they’re doing it.”
The 78 straight set-wins are a state record. Colorado Springs Christian, the previous record holder, won 69 straight in 2005.
“I don’t have any words for it,” Penny Isenbart said. “It’s just surreal. It is just unreal. The set thing, that never crossed our minds.”
And the Wildcats did it by playing a team game. Kit Carson had five players with over 100 kills, and had over 500 assists combined between Micayla and Reyna Isenbart.
“They trusted eachother,” Penny Isenbart said. “They knew someone had their back, so they never felt the pressure. Our kids never felt any pressure because they knew there was always someone else to help them out.”
Kit Carson jumped out to a 20-2 lead in the first set, then cruised to a 25-9 set win, finished off by a Reyna Isenbart block.
“It’s always been a big rivalry,” Penny Isenbart said. “We were ready for them.”
76.
In the second set, Kit Carson got back to work. After holding a 9-7 lead, the Wildcats turned it on to take the set 25-18. McKenzie Smith punctuated the set win with a kill on the last point.
“We just played five points at a time, and sometimes we were behind in those five points,” Penny Isenbart said.
77.
And finally, Kit Carson completed a season as perfect as they come with a win in set three. 78 straight sets won, 28 wins, zero losses and one state title.
“I hope we give kids hope,” Micayla Isenbart said. “Give kids hope that they can do it, that anybody can do it. Hard work and you’ll get it done.”
Kit Carson’s last volleyball title win came in 2006 against — you guessed it — Fleming. After Saturday’s win, Kit Carson holds the series advantage at 2-1 in title games.
