Season ends with loss to top-seeded SHS 

Resolutely resisting perhaps the biggest guns in Class 2A volleyball, Ignacio nevertheless succumbed to fully loaded Simla’s constant barrage as the Volleycats’ season ended with a 16-25, 10-25, 15-25 loss out on the high Eastern Plains. 

“Big hitters … they get in your head a lot: ‘Oh my God, they’re going to crank it down our throats!’” IHS senior Ollyvia Howe said. “So I think that was somewhat of an intimidation factor that our girls fought.” 

“They didn’t give up,” said head coach Jennifer Seibel. “We had the next-play mentality; we knew (the Lady Cubs) were going to hit the heck out of the ball, and so our goal was just to be tenacious on defense … and use this as a chance to grow. Personally, mentally – mentally first – and on the court.” 

Hoping to earn a trip to the 2024 CHSAA State Championships at the 2A-Region I tournament, delayed by 30 hours – to Sunday evening, Nov. 10 – due to the approaching winter’s first true snowstorm, which had covered just about everywhere east of Interstate 25 and south of Interstate 76 the previous two days, the ’Cats began well against Colorado Springs St. Mary’s. 

Seeded 36th in the State Tournament’s opening Round-of-36, the Lady Pirates – beaten 9-25, 8-25, 13-25 by event-hosting SHS in the regional’s 4 p.m. opener – had little to offer No. 24 Ignacio, which went wire-to-wire in the first and third sets of a 25-19, 25-20, 25-12 sweep. 

Eliminated from contention, SMHS (12-13 overall) gained the upper hand only twice, but never again led after IHS went up 8-7. St. Mary’s came as close as 18-16 before the ’Cats went on a 6-1 run bringing up set point at 24-17. Fully hyped, Howe unluckily netted a serve and SMHS sophomore Kate Montague followed with back-to-back service aces, bringing the Lady Pirates back to 24-20 before IHS junior middle Juliann Avila won a joust ball against St. Mary’s senior Ava McCabe. 

SMHS senior Leah Flanigan started Set 3 but after Ignacio won the first point, the ’Cats – helped by sophomore setter Kelly Sirios’ ten-point stay on serve, featuring three consecutive aces – also grabbed 13 of the next 14 in building a 14-1 lead. St. Mary’s didn’t reach double digits until trimming the deficit to 21-10, and IHS reached match point at 24-11. Howe was then called for a net violation while pounding down a SMHS over-pass, but then ended the match with a kill shot Flanigan couldn’t stop. 

“We had a rough warm-up, and so I said ‘Good! We got that out of our system, and now it’s go time!’” Seibel said. “And they started off on fire. Our goal’s been consistency – be consistent throughout a match and not focus on highs and lows – and they stepped up. Especially in that third set; I kind of gave them a goal: Keep (St. Mary’s at or) under 12 … and we did.” 

There was no hope of doing so against top-seeded Simla, as junior Katie Gotschall smoked a kill through IHS sophomore Maliyah Martinez’s hands to earn the very first point. Senior Kylie Maranville, however, then served long and Ignacio took what ended up being their only short-lived lead when Gotschall rocketed her next attack out of bounds. Hoping to capitalize, IHS senior Marissa Olguin then served out of play, re-tying the score at 2-2, and SHS freshman Haylee Easler followed with a booming kill through the middle. 

Sophomore Aubrey Layton then served consecutive aces and Easler tacked on a scoring tip shot, growing Simla’s lead to 6-2 before increasing it to 12-6 and pressing Seibel to use a timeout. Unfortunately, the Volleycats got no closer than 15-11, via a Howe ace, before the Lady Cubs took a one-set lead in the contest with Gotschall and senior Elle Leininger blocking Howe. 

Olguin started Set 2 on serve, but Simla quickly swiped it from her as Maranville killed a set provided by senior Meadow Nusbaum. Maranville then followed with an ace, and Gotschall teamed with Nusbaum to then block IHS sophomore Lainee Bradley. Sophomore Carlee Cox then blasted a kill shot, and Ignacio got no closer the rest of the way than at 5-3, via a Howe kill. A Gotschall bomb brought up set point at 24-10, and Maranville followed with an ace Sirios couldn’t save along the far sideline. 

“I’d say that we did what we … do normally,” Nusbaum said, who earlier this fall had eclipsed the 2,000-assist mark for her Simla career. “Just worked (at) our tempo … every single one of us, focusing on what they need to be doing. Most of us have obviously played together for the last three or so years, and so … we’re here to win State. This year is our year.” 

The ’Cats kept scrapping early in Set 3, tying the score at 1-, 2-, and 4-all before an Easler kill and a Leininger tip got the Lady Cubs the breathing room they’d need. Ignacio did get back to 6-5, and later 11-8 via a surprising Sirios set dump, but Simla then strung together six points – the last being a Layton corner ace IHS sophomore libero Tarah Baker guessed might hook out of bounds. 

Still, Ignacio (15-10 overall) wasn’t finished and somehow got back to 19-14 after freshman Aubriella Herrera saved a broken play with a scoring tip shot, but SHS reached match point, 24-15, when senior Morgan Swennes aced Herrera. Seibel used her second and final timeout, but Gotschall then concluded the match with an off-speed roll shot through the middle. 

“Sometimes balls dropped in, and … probably just our communication’s the big thing,” Easler said. “We had some mistakes, moments where we definitely had some improvements needed, but overall, I think we … got business done.” 

“You know, I honestly feel so happy that we even got to play! With the weather that came upon us, like … . There was a question that we may even have to forfeit; we weren’t even sure if we were going to be here,” Seibel said. “And just being here, with my girls and our fans being safe … . Today was a great day, and we were blessed to be on the court.” 

“I’m really looking forward to next season, building upon the experience that St. Mary’s gave us, Simla gave us … on a bigger stage, out of our comfort zone,” she added. “It’s tremendous, the type of growth that we’re going to see next year.” 

“The last couple sets, our energy was down … which I didn’t really like. But other than that … it was good. Ten out of ten,” Howe said, when asked how the 2024 season compared to ’23, considering the talent claimed off that year’s roster by graduation. “I love the girls – especially when I’m a senior and younger girls are stepping up to varsity – and I’ll miss them.” 

Advancing to the aforementioned 12-team State Championships, November 14-16, and again given the No. 1 seed, Simla (24-1 overall) will next face either No. 8 Del Norte (21-2) or No. 9 Haxtun (16-8) on the 14th inside the Denver Coliseum. 

“We just have to bring it like we always do,” Easler said. “I’ve known these girls all my life; they’re … really talented and I think that makes us closer; we’re all just amazing with each other and work really well together.” 

“It kind of blows my mind because I didn’t think I’d be where I am today,” Nusbaum said, “but it’s pretty awesome.”