Consider the score settled.
Never allowing Mancos to lead by more than four points at any juncture (in fact, the Jays enjoyed such an advantage just twice – at 9-5 in the first set, and at 6-2 in the second set) Thursday night inside their own building, Ignacio’s Volleycats authoritatively avenged their September home loss to MHS by booking a 25-19, 25-15, 25-18 sweep certain to impact the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League standings.
Ignacio improved to 10-6 overall and 6-2 in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League. Mancos fell to 13-5 overall and 7-2 in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League standings.
“We had a strict game plan coming in,” Ignacio head coach Jennifer Seibel said. “The girls did amazing; they played with no fear. Our goal was to keep them out of system, keep them away from their big hitter and we did that; we served very precisely, very methodical. Every single member of our team contributed, even our bench.”
Going two deep into her reserves, Seibel saw her side make the first definitive move toward victory when sophomore setter Kelly Sirios retied the set one score at 15-15 with an ace, then put the ’Cats up with a serve Mancos received directly into the net. MHS head coach Brianna Wyatt alertly called timeout, but IHS continued widening the gap to 20-15 before Sirios served long. An unreturnable Maliyah Martinez serve quickly got Ignacio back on track and set point came up at 24-19 when senior Ollyvia Howe played over a ball the Jays couldn’t field.
Wyatt used another timeout, but Ignacio went up 1-0 in the match when Jabour sent a free ball low and into the strings.
Whereas Mancos played the aggressor in set one, IHS relished the role beginning set two. The home team, however, seemed up to the challenge and pulled even at 5-5 thanks to an ace by sophomore bomber Bailey Beh. She then netted a back-row attack and as fate would have it, MHS never again led. IHS sophomore Lily Quintana landed an ace putting the ’Cats up 11-7, Martinez followed with a kill splitting a double block, and Aubree Wyatt then netted an attack – giving Ignacio a six-point advantage which grew to as large as 10 points at 22-12.
Beh got back on serve at 22-15, but sailed her attempt out of bounds. Wyatt then muscled a crosscourt attack long, and Baker promptly leaped into possibly the service ace of the contest; her flat delivery barely cleared the net, then tumbled down so sharply that not even Beh, the tallest player on the floor, could get even a finger underneath it with a full-extension dive.
Still, Mancos began set three looking plenty capable of pushing the action into at least a fourth; two Beh kills and a Jabour serve reception which shot back over the net and out of reach of the surprised Volleycats helped MHS build the aforementioned 6-2 pad. Howe countered with a kill triggering a match-stealing 9-1 run, highlighted by a Baker ace through the net, immediately followed by an unplayable serve tying the score at 7-all.
After falling behind 11-7, Wyatt spent a timeout but the Lady Jays got no closer the rest of the way than 13-10, when Aubree Wyatt landed a kill from MHS’ back row. But she then served out of bounds, and Ignacio started to again separate – all the way out to 23-12 as senior Marissa Olguin and Sirios controlled matters from the service stripe.
Unsurprisingly Mancos turned to Beh, who promptly put down a kill and an ominous ace too concerning for Seibel, who wisely burned a timeout with IHS still leading 23-15. Martinez then surrendered another point by netting an attack, but Beh smacked her next serve long, giving the ’Cats their first crack at match point.
“We did switch our rotation a little – more of a strategic change – in preparation for this,” Seibel said. “The players did phenomenally adapting. And Maliyah showed out, back row and front; she put up a solid block every time and dug like her life depended on it.”
Ignacio was to continue league play on Friday with a key 2A SJBL home match versus Telluride.
“Any time we can play at home with the energy our fans bring, we’re pumped,” said Seibel. “Telluride’s going to be a tough match; we’ll try to find a way to shut their No. 6 (junior Delia Noel) down, and play our game. Know our strengths and continue growing in those.”
