Presented the 2A-Region XII Championships’ first-place award Saturday by Ignacio High School Athletic Director Leo Garand, IHS head coach Shasta Pontine kept it only elbow-high in turning to meet her eager players’ eyes.
As the Volleycats surrounded, each wanting her own look at something not seen on campus in almost four decades, daughter and senior co-captain Alexis Pontine then took possession, but still there was no heroic hoisting.
Nor would there be until, after a team picture was taken, sophomore Solymar Cosio briefly – almost as an afterthought – elevated the plaque overhead but then swiftly lowered it as though shielding a Rembrandt from UV radiation.
But much more so than the prize, the moment was priceless.
For the first time since 1987, Ignacio volleyball will compete in the state championships.
“I’ve told them from the beginning that this is a state-qualifying team, and once they start believing that themselves they’re going to go far,” said Shasta Pontine. “But it’s awesome; they are really seeing what I’ve known all along.”
“It’s really emotional,” senior Lexy Young said. “But I knew that we had it in us; it’s all about the confidence, believing in ourselves. It means a lot … and it’s really, like, breathtaking. I’m speechless right now.”
“The feeling of being regional champs for the first time – and first time hosting regionals – in … how many years? It’s just overwhelming and hard to believe,” Alexis Pontine said. “We all just really played together. Every person on the court was giving a hundred percent all the time. ... I can’t believe we’re going to state!”
State will be held Thursday through Saturday in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor World Arena. The 2A field also includes Julesburg-based Sedgwick County, Meeker, Fowler, Akron, Oak Creek Soroco, Holyoke, Wiggins, Rye, Denver Christian, Hoehne and Limon.
Ignacio (19-6 overall), was reseeded 11th and will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday against last season’s state champ, No. 6 Wiggins (16-9). The winner will then face No. 3 Fowler (23-2) at 5 p.m.. The loser will next play 8 a.m. Friday.
All squads advancing hosted their respective regionals – except No. 21 Akron, which shocked No. 4 Dayspring Christian of Greeley in a five-gamer.
After the Rye Invitational, Shasta Pontine noted an uptick in IHS’ inability to keep leads, particularly against upper-tier opposition like Rye and Hoehne.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” she said at the time. “One game we’re on top, then we hit another and don’t show up – that roller-coaster’s getting annoying. It’s a momentum thing, and it’s up to them to try to figure it out.”
And though the Volleycats had been able to sweep Collbran-based Plateau Valley in the Region XII opener, Greeley’s Union Colony Prep Timberwolves almost had to be licking their chops after seeing IHS squander a 22-15 lead in Game 2 and a 7-1 Game 3 start before securing a 25-20, 27-25, 27-25 victory by rallying all the way back from game point, 24-19. Ignacio closed it out with a Grace Gonzales ace and a Harmony Reynolds overpass stuff.
Union Colony then cruised past Plateau Valley next, 25-15, 25-13, 25-14, ramping up their intensity for a first-place showdown against Ignacio.
“Yeah, with how much we were putting on the floor, and then the 15-minute break. … We thought we were just going right into it, like, strong,” said PVHS sophomore Sierra Piland, “and I think it kind of gassed us.” Plateau Valley ended up 15-10 overall.
“My sophomore year, we went to state. But I think we lost six seniors that year, so a lot of people began doubting us,” Colony senior Kamryn Arnold said. “And last (season) we were supposed to go to regionals, but a girl got COVID, so we missed out. That’s why this year was such a big deal to us.”
“We did watch some film on them, so we kind of knew what we were coming into,” head coach Courtnie Herman said, of anticipating a deciding clash with the ’Cats. “But for the most part, our front row … they go in swinging every single time, and that’s what picks up our game.”
With junior Mariah Glasper burying a kill for the first point, the ’Wolves went about building a Game 1 lead that maxed out at 18-14. IHS pulled even at 20-20. A Young ace would get Ignacio its first lead in the match, 22-21, and a Gonzales kill would regain it again at 23-22. Arnold, however, blasted a kill to help UCP take the first set, 25-23.
Colony then managed to take Game 2, 25-20, after a Glasper kill answered a vicious Gonzales crosscourt finish and broke a 9-9 tie. The visitors then went up 2-0 in the match when junior Lana Coron zipped some late aces.
“I just told ’em, ‘Guys, we’re here to play and we’re here to win.’ They really took that and dominated,” Herman said.
The Volleycats responded.
“After we lost the first two, we had a major fire-up talk: ‘We’re going to win this no matter what. We’re not going to give up, we’re going to play every single ball – we have to fight!’” Alexis Pontine said. “It was, like, a game-changer, the talk we had in the huddle.”
“It honestly did,” Young agreed. “At first we were nervous, but once we actually played with them we held it together.”
“I’d hoped they’d have showed up … a little better, stepping into it,” said Shasta Pontine. “Our passing was struggling, and … we started cleaning things up and getting passing so we could have nice, solid hits.”
With numerous mistakes and failed serves leading to 14 ties in Game 3, Ignacio somehow managed to keep their state hopes afloat. Young denied Glasper to bring up game point, 24-21, and after Gonzales netted what would have been a crowd-rocking kill, Arnold gifted IHS a 25-22 win sending a back-row attack out of bounds.
The ’Cats at last showed their true potential, owning Game 4, 25-17. Two Glasper errors plus a Gonzales ace helped IHS take a 5-0 lead they never relinquished. Arnold cracked a promising kill coming out of a Herman timeout, but Pontine countered with a kill and an ace, rebuilding the lead to 9-3, and the Timberwolves never came closer than 10-5 before ultimately netting a poor pass, which was the product of a well-placed Pontine roll shot.
With all possible momentum pushing them into a tiebreaking Game 5, the ’Cats would fulfill their destiny.
Glasper again got things going with a kill, but after Luo served out of bounds, and Glasper netted her next swing, UCP would never again have the upper hand and Shasta Pontine relished the chance to insert some substitutes. One, sophomore, Darlyn Lechuga-Mendoza, fired an ace – giving Ignacio a 6-3 lead and indicating Colony’s end was near.
“The girls really supported her,” Shasta Pontine said. “And the energy, the excitement really lifted.”
Herman would have to take a timeout with Colony trailing 10-4, but Young kept IHS rolling with a kill. Pontine would later score with a tip, and junior setter Laci Brunson incredibly won a battle at the net with Glasper to increase the lead to 13-6.
Never conceding, Arnold hammered down one last kill and Glasper would add on another, but Gonzales would bring up match point, 14-9, with a kill. Sophomore Kacey Brown served long, but the Lady ’Wolves (17-8 overall) were unable to keep the next exchange from landing on their side, with Reynolds and Gonzales nearest the play, as a celebration some 34 years in the making commenced with IHS gymnasium’s scoreboards showing 15-10.
“All our hard work we’ve built up all season … for this one great moment,” Alexis Pontine said. “Everyone played today and did amazing.”
Ignacio’s 1987 varsity, skippered by Melanie Taylor and assistant Gordon Herrick, placed third in the old Class A-I division behind Kremmling West Grand, grand-finale conquerors – by scores of 3-15, 15-3, 15-8—over Lyons.
“Their perseverance and the way they continue to come together … continue to surprise me. That’s what it’s about,” Shasta Pontine said. “When we go into a huddle, they always say ‘Family!’ and at the end they say ‘Family!’ That kind of just started coming at the end of the season, but they’re really starting to connect.”
“And to be a first-year head coach … going to state? That’s awesome, absolutely.”
