IGNACIO – Though satisfied with securing another 2A/1A San Juan Basin League victory Tuesday night, Dolores head coach Gina Hollen indicated she wasn’t quite pleased with just one wire-to-wire performance in the Lady Bears’ sweep.
Particularly with an expected high-pressure showdown in Telluride looming this Saturday, Oct. 26.
“Our mission right now is to be undefeated league champs,” she said Wednesday afternoon. “That’s what I’ve been feeding them, and that’s our goal. The girls know, kind of, what’s on the line, but I’m not sure the intensity was quite there.”
Visiting Ignacio as the Volleycats’ designated National Breast Cancer Awareness Month foe, No. 9-ranked Dolores prevailed 25-23, 25-12, 25-19 for its 15th straight win.
Dolores (15-3) improved to 7-0 against the league’s 2A-level members and 11-0 against the entire loop, but that certainly took some doing before senior middle Jordan Elder tipped match point off Ignacio’s block.
Showing apparent readiness to make amends for a four-set loss at Dolores earlier this season, Ignacio battled to a 10-5 lead in the opening stanza, pressing Hollen to call a timeout. Ignacio’s Lexy Young managed served an ace when play resumed, but the Lady Bears would fight back to pull even at 16-16. Another small run, keyed by a Young ace, briefly put the ’Cats up 19-16, but Dolores again gained control and reached set point at 24-21.
Ignacio freshman outside hitter Grace Gonzales managed to pound a kill, and junior setter Marisa Carmenoros followed with an ace, but Gonzales then netted her next attack – giving the guests a 1-0 lead in the match.
“Kind of flat,” Hollen admitted. “Our setters were off, which meant our hits weren’t quite where we needed them to be. But it got better, for sure, as the game went on.”
And Lady Bear sophomore Erin Brown made Gonzales’ mistake sting, serving three consecutive gems beginning the second set. After increasing their quick lead to 5-1, the Lady Bears stepped up as Ignacio clawed back to 13-9 on a Makayla Howell tip.
But a block by Elder block and a clever tip shot by Dolores junior Sydney Smith helped the Lady Bears string together seven unanswered points to go up 20-9, then 24-11. Young would down a kill, but Smith responded with a winning roll shot out of the back row.
The teams traded fairly evenly early in the third set until a kill by Brown gave Dolores a 7-6 advantage which swiftly grew to 11-7 after Carmenoros netted a serve and Gonzales a spike. Still up 13-10 after Elder mashed a kill, Dolores’ advantage dwindled to zero after Volleycat sophomore Alexis Pontine downed a kill off junior libero Akira Edwards (11 digs) to tie the score at 13.
Ignacio would take one last lead at 16-15, but after a Hollen timeout, the Lady Bears would forge one last deadlock at 17-17 before a clean kill by Brown (9 kills, 15 digs), a vicious Elder blast off a perfect quick-set by sophomore Kamri Willbanks, and a fortunate Brown putaway through the top of the net put Dolores on a fast track to victory.
Terminating perhaps her hardest swing of the night, off another ideal Willbanks quick-set, Elder (12 kills, 5 total blocks) brought up match point at 24-18. Gonzales countered with one last kill, but the ’Cats couldn’t pull off the comeback.
“We had a little downtime two weeks ago ... didn’t have a match, and so were able to kind of rest a little bit – but take advantage of that time to really practice on those skills.” said Hollen.
Willbanks finished with 14 assists while sharing setting duties with freshman Carlie McClellan, who logged eight.
“We really didn’t have too many serve errors or hitting errors,” said Hollen, “but we were struggling a little bit. ... With two games left in league, we ... maybe got a little ‘comfortable.’”
Definitely not what the boss wanted to see before traveling north to Telluride and looking to complete a season sweep of the SJBL’s 2A talent.
Having dropped only three sets to league opposition overall, Dolores beat the Lady Miners 25-13, 25-17, 18-25, 25-23 back on Sept. 12. But Telluride will step onto their MinerDome floor standing a confident 16-4 overall despite a five-set (25-20, 8-25, 26-24, 19-25, 16-18) loss at home Tuesday to Dove Creek, ranked No. 10 in Class 1A.
That dropped Telluride to 8-3 in the league and 5-1 against 2A teams before visiting 1A Nucla Friday.
“I think it’s awesome that we’ve got some powerhouses,” Hollen said of Dolores, Dove Creek and Telluride.
“Tough serves, tough hits – we’ve just got to be on our toes; otherwise, we’re going to be taken advantage of.”