DOLORES - Simply put, if the Volleycats can play tomorrow with the same steel-reinforced resolve they displayed in Game 1 of last weekend's epic against Ridgway, Athletic Director Rocky Cundiff will probably be phoning for hotel rooms next weekend before even leaving Ouray County.
Any lesser intensity, however, could make for a long - and short - day at 2A-Region G; in addition to having to battle RHS for a fourth time in 2015, and in the Lady Demons' domain, Ignacio will have to put down Western Slope League power Paonia to reach the Class 2A state championships inside the Denver Coliseum.
But in San Juan Basin League settings-where they'd dealt RHS their season's lone loss, to be specific-IHS can claim some kind of home-court advantage, just like last Saturday at the District 3 Tournament in Dolores. Even tough they were promptly upset (25-23, 20-25, 22-25, 14-25) by the upstart hosting squad, they recovered to rout Mancos (25-22, 25-14, 25-11) to pick up steam into the event's must-see showdown.
Sophomore Shoshone Thompson fired an ace countered by a kill from Ridgway's Saren Robinson, and the tone was set. With fans from all four teams roaring on every point, the score would be tied 12 more times before a Robinson kill took IHS off serve at game point, offsetting Kelly Campbell's kill off RHS' Brynne Skalla which yielded a 25-24 lead. Skalla quickly regrouped mentally and downed a spike to give RHS the same clinching opportunity up 26-25, and Thompson then sent a pass too wide to be hammered.
Junior Alex Forsythe began Game 2 with a kill, and when classmate Sheigh Pollock stuffed Ridgway star Kaitlyn Rutherford for a 2-0 lead, it was clear Ignacio's recovery was already complete. A Campbell block later increased the Volleycats' lead to 7-3, senior Miel Diaz aced Hunter Gentry to make the score 9-5 and Skalla then hit long as IHS ultimately won, wire-to-wire, 25-22 to even the match at a game apiece.
Having rallied back to as close as a point on seven occasions, the Demons (now 21-1 overall) weren't about to let Game 3 go. They had to break an incredible 10 ties-of-score before taking the lead at 13-12 and holding it until Diaz put down a ball to bring the 'Cats level at 21-21. Skalla responded with a kill, Rutherford followed with a signature blast down the line, and Skalla finally sealed a 25-22 win by acing libero Chrystianne Valdez.
For most SJBL teams-or anyone facing Ridgway this year, really-that would have been it. There would have been no air left in the tires, no gas left in the tank, no charge in the battery, and RHS could have strolled away with an easy Game 4 win and 3-1 triumph in the match.
Not with Ignacio still on the other side of the net. Two Rutherford hitting errors and two Thompson aces helped IHS race out to a 5-0 lead. Ridgway couldn't have helped but have temporary recall of their five-game loss to the 'Cats earlier this season, and out of fear of a possible repeat responded to rally and tie at 6-6.
Gentry then forced a ball through Pollock and the girls in green never lost the upper hand again, though the 'Cats clawed back to as close as 13-12 before a 6-0 burst, highlighted by two Rutherford spikes, provided the Demons with a lead too great to overcome. The exhausted action ended when Campbell sent an attack long to finalize RHS' 27-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16 victory.
Long after the thriller and subsequent awards presentation, there was still a definite buzz in the building though, and a third-place finish was enough for Ignacio to survive at least another week. Ridgway is their first opponent tomorrow at 10 a.m., so the Volleycats' season could hinge on another barn-burning effort.
Paonia (19-4) will then put IHS (15-7) to the test before facing Ridgway in the day's third and last match. Distant eyes from around the state will be watching; Paonia ended the regular season ranked sixth in the last CHSAANow.com Class 2A poll, Ridgway stood seventh and Ignacio eighth.
