As Christmas Week festivities at Ignacio High School began Monday, seniors dressed up as Santa Claus. And considering that the 12th graders had probably worn more IHS red and white than most anyone on campus, one could say the request was apt.
Alexis Pontine, however, declined, appearing decidedly blue as she entered IHS Gymnasium that afternoon.
But not blue as in sad; blue as in glad – glad to become the newest member of the 2022 recruiting class of Nebraska’s McCook Community College volleyball team, which she made official by signing her national letter of intent in front of extended family, friends, school administrators and teachers past and present.
“You think of all the countless hours you put into your sport – not only in games and at practices, but working out, eating right – and it’s just an overwhelming, amazing feeling that … for something you’ve worked so hard, for so many years, you finally achieved it,” Pontine said. “I really liked McCook, how they’re family-oriented. The coaches were super nice, they have a great volleyball program, and I just really liked the culture, you could say, of the school.”
“It’s got a small-town vibe, which is nice because … you know a bunch of people and people you know come and support you. So it’s just a really good fit for me. I’m definitely focused on … just getting in shape, getting ready. I’m super excited.”
“She’s grown up so – oh, I’m going to cry now – much in the last couple years, becoming this amazing woman,” said mother and Ignacio head coach Shasta Pontine. “We’re just super proud of her.”
Named the Volleycats’ varsity MVP, first team all-San Juan Basin League and recently second team all-2A, Pontine helped Ignacio go 19-8 overall this fall – reaching the CHSAA Class 2A state championship tournament and going 46-42 during her four seasons at IHS.
“I actually saw her play at the (Colorado) All-State Games, and I said to my head coach at McCook … ‘I don’t know what you need to tell her to get her here, but let’s do it,’” said McCook assistant coach Hannah Emerson, a 2017 Greeley West graduate and a former MCC player, who also attended the signing ceremony.
“We want her as a setter. We have another tall setter too, so we want them both to be able to play. We want Alexis on the court all the time, so I think she’s going to be a great fit at that position, just based off her personality when she plays. And if we need her as a (right-side) hitter, we can use her as a hitter too! She’s dynamic, and that’s perfect for us.”
Pontine has expressed an interest in studying physical therapy or psychology. “They work really well together … and you can find lots of careers with those two things,” she said. Pontine will join an incoming crop that includes Nebraska in-staters Gracen Tuttle, Gabriella Caskey and Greta Bolognini, and Wyoming standout Jessie Jerome.
“Took a lot of time to get recruited, so it’s nice to … be like, ‘Oh my gosh! I don’t have to e-mail coaches tonight!’” she said. “But my mom kept, you know, nagging me on. …. It was a lot of work to get here.”
Under sixth-year skipper Hayley Kobza, McCook went 20-18 this fall, bowing out in the consolation rounds of the NJCAA Division I, Region IX Tournament. It was the fourth time she led MCC to 20 or more wins in a season and is now 111-99 overall.
With five players from Colorado on the roster – four who can return – MCC went 8-6 inside the Peter & Dolores Graff Events Center, 5-4 away and 7-8 on neutral courts. In Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference play this fall, McCook went 5-1 to finish first.
“Hannah called me and told me that we had to have her, so I’m glad it all worked out for us,” Kobza said through MCC Sports Information Director Brent Cobb. “I am excited to have Alexis join our family because she is such a versatile player.”
“She wanted to be a setter,” Shasta Pontine said, “but she was recruited by several other schools as a hitter first. So to get into a higher-level college, she needs to go in as a setter. ... So this is going to help her find the skills she hasn’t developed yet.”
“McCook’s a really good school; it was one … we were kind of targeting in the beginning anyway,” coach Pontine said. “And I think the best part is they’re going to help her get to the next level … find a four-year home her last two years.”
“I think she’ll fit in, and we’re excited for the future,” said Emerson, whose career continued at NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina University after two seasons at McCook.
“We try to make sure we recruit players that you can see love volleyball,” she added. “It’s a lot easier to win when players are passionate about and love the sport – that’s very obvious to see when Alexis is on the court.”
