Long day pays second-place dividends
Playing Simla on the volleyball court’s typically tough enough for any foe.
Engaging the Lady Cubs after surviving a pair of five-set full pulls is another animal altogether.
And with first place at the 2026 Denver Christian Invitational at stake Saturday evening, September 12, an exhausted Ignacio went up against SHS and succumbed 15-25, 21-25, 10-25 to the reigning CHSAA Class 2A State Champion.
Finishing 3-0 on the day, including earlier sweeps of Byers and Edwards Vail Christian – which actually defeated SHS in a season-opening best-of-three at the Wiggins Invite – Simla, reclassified to 1A this fall, improved to 8-1 overall (0-0 Black Forest) prior to hosting 2A WHS (7-0, 1-0 3A/2A Patriot Plains) on the 15th.
Jennifer Seibel’s runner-up Volleycats, meanwhile, departed the Metro Area standing 5-1 overall (0-0 2A/1A San Juan Basin) after reaching the event’s finale by outlasting the hosting Thunder 27-25, 19-25, 26-28, 25-19, 15-11, and then undoing SJBL rival Dolores 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10.
“It’s competitive volleyball – which we love, you know?” Seibel had previously said, anticipating the tournament and envisioning big-picture gains which could be made there. “It really just makes everybody much better; we find ways to be successful and it pushes us.”
“We are working on our offense. Moving our hitters and, really, just challenging them to expand their options.”
Going 1-2 at the tourney, Dolores (6-2 overall, 1-0 SJBL) would then fall 25-14, 27-25, 23-25, 27-29, 13-15 to 2A VCHS (7-2 overall) in the third-place match. With fifth place up for grabs, 3A Denver Christian (1-4 overall) couldn’t get past 2A Lyons (5-4 overall) and lost 19-25, 15-25, 20-25.
Salvaging a 1-2 meet mark, 2A Byers (4-5 overall) left 2A Sanford (6-6 overall) as the Invitational’s only winless team by taming the Lady Mustangs 25-18, 26-24, 25-20 in the seventh-place test.
Looking ahead, Ignacio will continue non-league play Friday, September 18, at, coincidentally, Sanford, then return to resume league work on the 19th against 1A Dove Creek. Results from IHS’ SJBL opener Thursday evening, September 17, versus still-struggling 1A Norwood (1-8, 0-2) were unavailable at press time.