Getting their 2018 schedule underway, the IHS varsity volleyball team traveled to Del Norte on Saturday, Aug. 25, for a non-league triangular, and returned with a scratch in both the win and loss columns.

Earning the second-most points amongst teams not yet top-10 in the updated CHSAANow.com Class 2A rankings (released 8/27), the Volleycats managed to rally past 3A Monte Vista in five (17-25, 20-25, 25-23, 27-25, 15-10) before running out of steam against now-#8 DNHS in three (18-25, 11-25, 7-25).

Junior Makayla Howell led Ignacio offensively in the wild win with 12 kills at a .391 (12 kills, 3 errors in 23 attacks) clip, while senior Kiana Valdez downed seven and senior Reyna Cruz six.  Able to land six service aces against the Lady Pirates and total six blocks, fellow senior Misty Egger-Morris spiked down five kills, and freshman Alexis Pontine logged four.

Sophomore Marisa Carmenoros and senior Heather Kerrigan shared setting duties, registering 11 and seven assists respectively. Howell was a force defensively at the net with team-highs of eight solo and nine total blocks, and trailed only Valdez’s five digs with her four.

Kerrigan managed 11 assists against the hosting Tigresses, with most going to either Valdez (five kills) or Howell (four, .364), but Carmenoros booked just two. Howell posted another two solo rejections defensively, while senior Rosie Concepcion totaled a team-high three (1s, 2a) and sophomore Emilia Price a team-high four digs.

Cruz and Concepcion each smacked two kills, and Pontine managed one.

Figures for both Del Norte (3-1 overall) and Monte Vista (0-2) had not been reported as of press time.

Ahead for Ignacio (1-1) will be a Sept. 6 visit from Mancos in 2A/1A San Juan Basin League action, with a trip to Ouray slated for Sept. 8. Results from the Volleycats’ SJBL-opener versus Ridgway (1-3) on Thursday, Aug. 30, were unavailable at press time.