Snapping a difficult three-match losing streak, Ignacio volleyball likely clinched a regional berth with home victories this week over both 2A/1A San Juan Basin League rival Dolores and 2A Southern Peaks Leaguers Sargent.
As of Friday – the day after the Volleycats swept SHS 25-16, 25-12, 25-20 – IHS stood 30th in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index, calculated by averaging teams’ rankings in CHSAA’s RPI standings (Ignacio checked in at No. 28) and MaxPreps’ rankings (No. 32).
But even with ahead of a wait-filled weekend, the ’Cats celebrated Thursday inside IHS Gymnasium as though they were assured inclusion in the 2022 Class 2A State Tournament’s initial 36-team, 12-site stage.
“It’s a big step,” senior Harmony Reynolds said, referring to the twin wins after losses to 2A SJBL loss at Telluride, 3A Pagosa Springs and 1A SJBLers Dove Creek. “We’ve come a long way, you know? At the beginning we were trying to figure out each other; we were still getting it together. But we’ve finished strong, and I’m excited to go to regionals!”
“MaxPreps is one way, CHSAA’s another, and I’m still new enough where I don’t know how it comes together,” said head coach Shasta Pontine, gifted on her birthday the varsity’s sweep of Sargent. “I’ve been watching stuff, but I have no idea.”
“These seniors – four of them – are done in here; it was their last home game,” she emphasized, referring to Reynolds, Laci Brunson, Trinity Strohl and reserve Sierra Red. “So it’s an awesome way to end their season.”
Three consecutive unreturnable serves by Sargent senior Alexis Urbina early in Game 1, putting SHS up 7-4, gave the guests hope. Ignacio (13-10 overall, 8-3 SJBL, 6-2 2A SJBL) retook the lead for good at 16-15 during a 6-0 burst within a greater 11-1 run – capped by a kill by sophomore Marissa Olguin and an overpass spike by junior Solymar Cosio.
Senior Stephanie Johnson, youngest sister of first-year head coach Sami Cotten, began Game 2 on serve but the Farmers never came close to leading after senior Megan Peterson hit long to give IHS a 1-0 lead. Cotten called timeout after a Cosio kill put SHS down 9-5, but Sargent got no closer than 14-10 after a Peterson ace.
Ignacio sophomore Ollyvia Howe served an ace late, rebuilding the Volleycats’ lead to 23-12, and IHS took a two-game lead when SHS freshman Reese Anderson netted an attack and junior Bailey Asbell smacked a shot long.
Hoping to halt their own four-match slide, the Farmers (10-13, 3-4 SPL) not only struck first in Game 3 via a Peterson overpass kill, but pressed Pontine into calling a timeout once Sargent’s lead grew to 10-6 … and to 12-6 after the restart. IHS wouldn’t pull even until Anderson hit a ball out of bounds, evening the score at 18-all.
With Olguin on serve, the ’Cats went on a 4-0 burst that included an Olguin ace of SHS libero Carmen Campos. Reynolds crushed a kill to bring up match point at 24-19. Junior libero Kacey Brown served long, but the match ended when Peterson stepped over the centerline while following through on an apparent kill.
“She was the one I was worried about; I thought ‘Oh no’ when I had Soly in the back,” Pontine said. “But when we started playing she really didn’t do that much harm, so I left it. And Soly got some kills.”
Cosio ended up with a team-high 11 kills, hitting .417 for the match. Reynolds ended up with seven kills and Strohl three (to go with as many aces). Brunson totaled 22 assists. Defensively, Brown came up with 13 digs and Reynolds 10. Howe and Maci Barnes each came up with six, while Brunson and Olguin each logged five.
In Ignacio’s 25-22, 25-19, 25-14 win against Dolores (7-13, 4-7 SJBL, 3-5 2A SJBL) on Tuesday, Reynolds ripped 10 kills on .241 hitting, and Cosio cracked 10 at a .381 clip. Brunson had 20 assists and served a team-high four aces.
Brown totaled a team-high nine digs defensively, and Barnes came up with eight. Brunson and Strohl each logged seven, while Reynolds and Olguin each registered six.
