By Mike Weaver

All three of the area’s Class 2A high schools are set to wind up the regular volleyball season with final San Juan League matches this weekend.

Both Mancos and Dolores County will wrap things up at home against league rivals. Mancos will have gone head to head with Norwood Friday, Oct. 22. With a win over the Mavericks, the Blue Jays will solidify their hold on a second place San Juan League finish and guarantee a bye in the first--or pigtail--round set to begin Tuesday, Oct. 26. The final round of Districts, Oct. 30, at Norwood. The top two teams advance to Regionals.

The Dolores County varsity will be looking for its first win when it takes on Nucla at about 11 a.m. today, Oct. 23, at Dove Creek. It will a match which should have great significance for a team which has gone winless this season. League standings at press time indicate the Dogs will play a pigtail match Tuesday, Oct. 26, on the road as the sixth seeded team, site to be announced after all SJL teams have completed their final matches.

Meanwhile Dolores will have traveled to Telluride Friday in its final league match. The Bears set themselves up as the team to beat early on and have not lost a league match this season. Their status will give them the first seed at District and a guaranteed slot at the Regional Volleyball Tournament Nov. 6.

The Blue Jays and Bulldogs met Thursday, Oct. 21, at Dove Creek for a league match which ended in a 15-5, 15-5 sweep for Mancos.

Mancos coach Bill Tourjee noted that his team is still improving and is just short of hitting its stride. For Bulldog coach Melissa Wilson, the match showed that her young team has matured to a degree through a tough season.

"The girls started playing better," Wilson said. "They probably played better against Mancos than they have the last four weeks. They have definitely improved."

Mancos clearly had the edge in power throughout the match.

In the first game, Dove Creek put the first point on the scoreboard and then stalled when its service went south. After just one serve, Jenelle Burkhart found the Bulldog midcourt seam with a kill, and the Jays went to work. Rotating to the service line, Burkhart got Mancos going with an ace, and the Blue Jays went on to score four more unanswered points. A grounded ball gave the Bulldogs another point to make it 5-2, Mancos.

Mancos led 10-2 after a full rotation. Melissa Keller was good for an offensive block for the Blue Jays’ tenth point.

Tia Wood found a Mancos gap with an ace, and the Bulldogs showed some fire with a three-point run. Krystal Neely hit a kill, and a Mancos grounded ball made the score 10-5. It wall all the Dogs could muster, as the Blue Jays went over the top with five straight points. Numbers 14 and 15 came on a grounded and outbounded ball with Randee Reider behind the line.

The Blue Jays were always just out of reach in game two. During a four-point run for the Mancos, Kristen Paxton and Abby Hutchinson were both good for aces, and Keller and Burkhart shared a block. Dove Creek put a point up on a Mancos grounder, but lost the sideout when Reider smacked a defensive kill into the Bulldog mid court.

With an ace, Burkhart gave the Jays a 6-1 lead, and then the Creek scored on a Blue Jay outbounded ball to make the score 8-2. Mancos replied with two more points with Paxton at the service line. Dove Creek put together a string of three points under the combined serving of Michelle Davis and Neely. The gap was closed to 8-5 after Amber Randolph scored on a kill.