Able to recover from a first-game loss at Dove Creek Saturday, Sept. 18, and notch a Game 2 win, the Ignacio Volleycats seemed to run out of fuel prematurely and suffered in four games their first 2A/1A San Juan Basin League loss this fall.
Senior Alexis Pontine downed a team-leading nine kills and junior Grace Gonzales spiked seven, but after pulling out a five-game league win at home over Telluride seven days earlier, the 2A ’Cats (4-2, 3-1 SJBL) were unable to book a third consecutive conquest as DCHS (9-1, 3-0) defended ‘The Dawghouse’ 25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 25-7 – and as a result rose to No. 9 in the newest CHSAANow.com Class 1A poll released Mon., Sept. 20.
Senior Lexy Young was reported with making two solo blocks in defeat, while Pontine was credited with two solo and one assisted stuff – Sophomore Solymar Cosio was credited with one of each, and junior Harmony Reynolds one solo block – Cosio and Young were also credited with two kills apiece, and junior Laci Brunson 20 assists offensively.
In a 25-22, 25-23, 25-21 non-league home win on the 9th over 2A Del Norte, Pontine blasted 15 kills and Gonzales ten, and both would log double-doubles as the former came up with 17 digs and the latter 16. – Junior Trinity Strohl also came up with ten digs and fired a team-best seven service aces – Pontine was in on three solo and two assisted blocks, and Cosio two and two.
Complete figures from the Telluride match had not yet been tabulated as of press time.
Up next, Ignacio will travel east to distant Simla for the SHS Invitational on Sat., Sept. 25, where their known opponents will be 2A Oak Creek Soroco and 1A Kit Carson, with both expected to offer stiff resistance.
Having won their own late-August tournament with a 3-0 mark, Soroco stood 6-1 overall prior to visiting Simla neighbors Calhan on the 24th, and checked in at No. 6 in the 9/20 Class 2A rankings. – Coming off a home loss on the 17th to High Plains League rivals Cheraw, KCHS stood 6-5 overall – but remained an ‘Others Receiving Votes’ inclusion in the 1A poll – prior to hosting non-league 1A Walsh on the 24th.
With CHS having improved to 8-1 overall with the victory, earning them a two-rung climb to No. 6 in 1A, the squads to have defeated the vaunted Lady Wildcats – also including non-league 1A Genoa-Hugo/Karval, 2A Yuma, 2A Limon and defending 2A State Champion Wiggins – were a combined 30-11 as of the 20th, with only Yuma (an ‘Others Receiving Votes’ pick) not yet deemed top-10 in either classification.
Results from IHS’ Sept. 21 home match versus Dolores (5-5, 3-0 SJBL) were unavailable at press time.
Following the Simla Invite, the ’Cats will resume league work at home versus 2A Ridgway on Oct. 1, then travel east and north to 1A Creede for the next day’s non-league event also attracting 2A Crested Butte and now 2A Fairplay South Park.
According to IHS’ schedule, the team will first face SP at 11 a.m., then CB at 12:30 p.m.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: Ignacio’s Oct. 22 home match against Norwood has been bumped up to Tues., Oct. 19, with action getting underway at 4 p.m.