It almost seemed as though someone in Aurora was playing trick or treat with the Ignacio volleyball team when issuing the final fall 2021 regular-season polls on Sunday – Halloween.
After having been virtually forgotten throughout the season despite 12 wins in 13 tries against all 2A/1A San Juan Basin League opposition, a 10-1 composite league record and 8-0 mark against the loop’s 2A side, CHSAAANow.com suddenly showed Ignacio atop the Class 2A “Others Receiving Votes” selections. And the two teams to whom IHS had lost during the previous two days were elevated to No. 9 and No. 10.
Certainly, it couldn’t be right.
On Monday morning, long after the weary Volleycats had returned from logging 15 games’ worth of action and a 2-2 match record within 24 hours in the distant Greenhorn Valley, all was confirmed: Ignacio would host one of 12 three-team Class 2A regionals to begin postseason play.
“I’ve had people texting me, and I’m like, ‘No! I’m driving!’” said head coach Shasta Pontine. “I’m like in shock; I have to make sure it’s real. I was looking on the boards today in the gym – I don’t even know when the last time (a regional) was at home!”
It definitely was before her players were born.
Seeded No. 12 in the round of 36 and awarded Region XII rights, the ’Cats will welcome No. 13 Greeley Union Colony and No. 25 Collbran Plateau Valley into IHS Gymnasium for a tense Saturday where only the victor will advance to the state championships.
Union Colony will arrive standing 16-7 overall following a forfeit over Nederland (0-17) in its regular-season finale.
Plateau Valley stands 15-8 after a loss at Rangely (12-11). The Volleycats will get things underway facing Plateau Valley at 9 a.m., with Union Colony-Plateau Valley following, and Ignacio-Union Colony ultimately closing the curtain.
“I’m not nervous; I’m ready to play … been practicing for so long,” IHS senior Lexy Young said. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment – being a senior, it’s my last year – so … just have fun, be ready for the next game!”
“We’re very happy, very excited, … It’s the first time in forever that this has happened; it’s probably a big blessing to us,” said junior Grace Gonzales. “And we’re proud of all the teams that have played us too; they put up a fight every time.”
That would include nonleague Hoehne, which dealt Ignacio a 22-25, 19-25, 25-22, 24-26 defeat to finalize IHS’ regular-season record at 17-6 overall. And one of the first folks to inform Pontine of her squad’s honor ended up being Hoehne skipper Tyrel Mincic-Barry.
“Tyrel and I are pretty good friends … and so when I met up with him when we played them, that was so much fun,” Pontine said. “He’s one of the people that texted me to let me know! And he’s hosting too; it worked out really good for both of us.”
The Lady Farmers, who improved to 15-6 with the win – in what was a late-season add-on for both sides, looking to make up for matches lost earlier because of COVID-19 issues – received Region X and will welcome No. 15 Sargent (15-6) and No. 27 Lyons (16-7) on Friday.
“We missed basically a whole month of the season due to quarantines, so we’re really kind of just getting into, you know, our groove,” said Mincic-Barry.
“We started running a new lineup just three games ago, a big change, but … I’ve had girls come out of nowhere that have stepped up, really like to play,” he said. “That’s a big help. I only have two seniors and three juniors in the program, so I’ve got a lot of kids figuring things out.”
Swept 25-19, 25-19 and 25-15 by Rye on Friday, the ’Cats rallied to swipe second place by outlasting Sanford 25-21, 20-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-12 Saturday, then sweeping Trinidad 25-18, 25-9, 25-15 before receiving a break. Rye, meanwhile, polished off a first-place 3-0 run by stopping SHS 25-15, 25-20, 25-21 – and improving to 18-5 overall en route to earning a new No. 9 ranking and Region VIII-hosting duties.
The Lady Thunderbolts will next entertain 17-seed Calhan (15-7) and 29-seed Olathe (13-9) on Saturday.
“Coming in we were ready to play Sanford and Ignacio,” RHS head coach Jamie Donlon said. “We knew they’d be tough ... so we were kind of excited. My team came with confidence they really hadn’t had in the last couple weeks. That was … a big confidence-builder.”
For Ignacio, so too was grinding out two more wins away from home, and against postseason-bound opposition. Third-place finisher Sanford, 13-9 overall, was chosen for Meeker-hosted Region II along with Mancos.
“But this team has been good for the last … I don’t know … three years,” Pontine said. “Last year was a (preview); they should have been doing this well. ... It’s awesome they’re starting to believe…how good they really are.”
“I feel we have a lot of potential,” said sophomore Solymar Cosio. “On our bench, our team … anyone can step in and do their job.”
