If there was any doubt Mancos volleyball could still be as strong in 2024 without graduated stars Teya Yeomans and Haylie Higgins, plus transferred standouts Claire Goodwin and Aysia Mathews, as well as former head coach Brianna Yeomans-Allison and even presently-injured senior Piper Franks … that’s a yes.
If there was any doubt Ignacio volleyball could still be as strong in 2024 without graduated stars Solymar Cosio, Kacey Brown, Maci Barnes and Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga, plus sidelined regulars Ollyvia Howe and Lily Quintana as well as up-and-coming varsity member Juliann Avila … that’s also a yes.
Questions appeared to have been answered Tuesday evening inside IHS Gymnasium as both 2A-level San Juan Basin League squads slugged it out on the Volleycats’ court, with the visiting Jays outlasting Ignacio 25-18, 25-23, 26-24.
“Somebody’s got to light a fire under ’em,” IHS head coach Jennifer Seibel said, of the contest’s long-term importance for her side. “We were thrown some curveballs … circumstances out of our control – we were down three starters – and so I said ‘You’ve got to step up!’ We’ve got to continue to step up; we got to see some really good hitters tonight, and it’s good for our team to … know how to respond to that.”
Ignacio fell to 3-2 overall with the loss while Mancos improved to 5-3 with the win.
Mancos led 7-1 early, pressing Seibel into burning a timeout, and closed IHS out with a successful tip shot by junior Alexis Lyons (31 assists, 14 digs).
“We have a very young team this year, not a lot of varsity experience – Aubree, Bailey and Brooke are returning varsity from last year – on the court, but bringing in a whole new three, four girls to play varsity and step up,” said new MHS coach Brianna Wyatt.
Ignacio had fought back to as close as 19-17 – a good omen for the second set, in which the ’Cats began adjusting to Mancos sophomore Bailey Beh’s blasts as they built up a 9-3 lead pressing Wyatt into using a timeout. As sophomore Aubree Wyatt began finding her rhythm offensively, MHS started rallying until finally pulling even at 13-all. The teams began swapping points until Beh banged a kill off IHS’ block to bring up game point, 24-22.
She’d then serve long, giving the ’Cats one last chance, but Mancos prospect Tinsley Aspromonte virtually dunked down an Ignacio over-pass to clinch the Lady Jays a 2-0 lead in the match.
Amazingly, IHS began set three showing next to no lingering effects and dashed out to a 6-1 lead. And just as in set two, a not-unexpected Wyatt timeout helped Mancos regroup mentally and fight to gain a 9-7 advantage with junior libero Brooke Jabour (17 digs) holding serve. As in set two, the teams then began trading the lead with Ignacio eventually going up 22-19.
Threatened with going into a fourth set, Wyatt’s players came out of her second timeout trailing 24-20 after Volleycat sophomore Tarah Baker pushed over a two-handed tip almost paralleling the net.
Aubree Wyatt (14 kills, 22 digs) hit a kill closing the gap to 24-22 and Seibel used a timeout. But Wyatt smacked another as Lyons’ setting peaked within the pressure-packed predicament. Beh (19 kills, 11 digs) then placed the best of her five aces straight into the center of IHS’ floor, 12 eyes watching helplessly, and Seibel called her second – and last – timeout after Wyatt downed yet another kill putting MHS on match point. Just as she’d ended set two, Aspromonte slammed down an over-pass to seal the deal.
“Huge threat in the middle; she’s got hops and can get up on most everything,” Brianna Wyatt said. “She’s a freshman and is doing great. Aubree’s … a pressure player and I’m proud of her for that, and Bailey … as long as she’s swinging people had better watch out! I’m super excited because we have a strong hitter in every rotation.”
“Our game is serving, being tough and tenacious,” said Seibel, “We can grow from our defense and work on it. Working hard and the effort … that’s not usually a question, but tonight just didn’t quite fall in our favor.”
Bobcats sophomore setter Kelly Sirios nearly notched a triple-double in defeat with 18 assists, 10 digs and nine kills. Baker was credited with seven kills, four aces and six digs, while senior Marissa Olguin totaled six kills and 16 digs – one behind sophomore Maliyah Martinez’s team-high 17.
Ignacio will next travel to Lakewood for the Denver Christian Invitational on Saturday and first face Littleton-based Front Range Christian at 9 a.m.
