NIWOT >> With the first few weeks of the season out of the way, Niwot and Erie volleyball are beginning to find their rhythm on the hardwood. Their meeting on Thursday night was never going to be a cake walk.

In the end, the Cougars won out with a 3-1 final, netting scores of 24-26, 25-23, 25-14 and 25-18. The Tigers made sure they had to earn every point that came their way, especially in the first two sets.

Niwot senior middle hitter Brooke Caquelin provided the steady hand that had evaded the Cougars at times, especially in the first frame. She said they just had to return to their roots through the final three sets to get the job done.

“I think we were really frazzled and nervous, and I think after the first set we all really came together and we just talked about just playing Cougar volleyball and not letting what they’re doing affect us on our side,” Caquelin explained. “Cougar volleyball is just supporting each other, having a good attitude and honestly just playing every game like it’s the last and having fun with each other.”

Erie senior Avery Malek kept the Tigers cool on defense with 20 digs, as fellow seniors Sutton Sales and Gloria Stem split the attack with 11 kills apiece. Niwot’s stats weren’t readily available after the game.

The Tigers began the first set riding high off of the serving acumen of Devon Twito, and the four-point edge they earned at the start proved pivotal in the final few minutes.They kept the Cougars within striking distance until midway through the frame, when Niwot tied things up for the first time at 14-14. It kept chipping away at Erie, eventually claiming a 22-19 lead. That set the two teams up for the exciting 26-24 finish that swung toward Erie.

Niwot returned the favor in the second, taking the early advantage before surrendering it to Erie for a brief period. The Cougars teetered just on the edge of victory, sitting at 24-19, as the Tigers methodically mounted their comeback.

Niwot escaped with a 25-23 decision but had fully figured Erie out by that point. The Cougars put a stranglehold on the Tigers in third, winning 25-14.

Erie tried to steal Niwot’s thunder at the start of the fourth set, going up by as much as 7-2, but that only invoked a hurricane from the home team. The Cougars responded a few minutes later with seven unanswered points, putting themselves up 15-10, and then found a way to keep their heads above water despite some pushback from the Tigers.

Niwot’s 25-18 final victory handed them a 5-2 season record as they prepare to head to Skyline on Tuesday. Erie, meanwhile, dropped to 3-2 before it returns home to host Overland on Saturday.

Junior leader Tegan Cerveny, who had paced the Tigers with 45 kills and 60 digs prior to Thursday night’s contest, believes her team can bounce back to the right track in no time with the type of depth and versatility that they possess.

“With a young team, this definitely helped us try to see what it’s like to put ourselves back together after a couple tough points,” Cerveny said. “I think we did a really good job fighting for it. I know we can do better, and we got it in us. Also, we have some key returning players that carry us in some points, and I think that’s a really big part of what our team is.”