By Jim Thomas

DENVER — The Final Four. No, it wasn’t the NCAA Basketball Tournament but that’s where the Montezuma-Cortez High School varsity volleyball team finished at the 1999 Class 4A Volleyball Tournament at Denver University.

The Panthers, under the direction of coach Lindy Mortensen, finished the season with a good run at the elite tournament. They defeated ThunderRidge, lost to Mullen, and defeated Sand Creek in pool play. They advanced to the semifinals before falling to defending State champ and eventual tourney winner Fort Morgan. They finished with an outstanding 25-4 record and tied for third. Since they don’t play for third/fourth place any longer, they can settle on the fact that they were among the top four in Class 4A.

Dolores, meanwhile, lost all three games in pool play to Strasburg, Julesburg, and Swink. They still finished with a 24-5 record.

Cortez could not get anything going in its first game against Fort Morgan in the semifinals late Saturday morning., Nov. 13. The Panthers quickly fell behind 6-0, making aggressive mistakes knocking the ball out-of-bounds. The Mustangs reeled off three more points, two coming off OBs. After Fort Morgan added two more points, the Panthers were down 11-0 when Mortensen called time. Kills by Jessica Hammerich and an ace serve plus a couple more mistakes finished them off at 15-0.

The second game was much different. The Panthers seemed more relaxed. Fort Morgan went up 0-3 but the Panthers came back to tie the game at 3-3 by capitalizing on Mustang errors. The teams traded many sideouts before each team traded points. Fort Morgan went up 5-6 and up 5-8. The Panthers came back to score two straight, one thanks to a double block by Casey Bauer and Brianna McCabe. Again the teams traded sideouts before the Panthers knotted the game at 8-all on an ace by McCabe. Fort Morgan went ahead 8-10 but the Panthers, behind the serving of Stefanie Allison plus a tip by Holly Tanner and dink by Bauer, moved out front 11-10. That would be the final points the Panthers would score. A block by Natasha Huhndorf, a stuff by Kale Matthews and a kill by Megan Carruth plus an OB by Cortez ended the Panther’s tournament play with the 11-15 loss in the second game.

The Panthers opened the tourney in pool play early Friday morning, Nov. 12, against ThunderRidge. Cortez dominated play in the first game. Allison made a nice off-pace short serve for a point, Bauer killed the ball across court, and Tanner made an ace. Cortez was up 6-1 and the Grizzlies needed a time. They scored a couple points to pull within 6-3. The Panthers soon were up 8-4 thanks to kills by Lindsay Waggoner. Cortez continued to play well and was up 11-6. Waggoner recorded an ace and McCabe finished them off with a kill for the final 15-9 win.

The Panthers went to sleep in the second game, falling 3-15. Cortez quickly fell behind 1-6 thanks to kills by Andrea Logan and a couple aces. Trailing 2-7, the Grizzlies went on another point spree with Logan serving and Cortez making unforced errors. Mortensen called time with her team trailing 2-10. Cortez added a point from an error but ThunderRidge scored the final five straight to win.

The match went to the third and decisive game. Cortez played hard. Waggoner made a nice block for a point and McCabe scored off a block. ThunderRidge made several mistakes and called time with Cortez up 5-1. With Annie Mortensen serving, the Panthers moved out front 8-2. Cortez scored a couple more off a tip by Mortensen and a kill by Bauer to go up 10-2. The Panthers scored the final five straight points for the game and match win.

The Panthers then faced a good Mullen team which eventually would lose to Fort Morgan in the finals. Cortez could not do anything right in the first game and quickly fell behind 2-11. They rallied behind the serving of Mortensen for three points. The Mustangs scored the final three points for the 5-15 win.

The second game against Mullen was better. Cortez went out front 3-1 but then started swatting the ball long or wide to fall behind 4-8. Cortez trimmed the lead to 6-8 but Mullen scored twice off Cortez miscues and Mortensen called time at 6-10. Mullen rallied and was soon up 7-13 Trailing 9-13, Tanner went to the service line and the Mustangs made mistakes. Mullen called time at 12-13. Cortez tied the game with a kill by McCabe and the Panthers came back and won 15-13, the final point coming on a kill by Allison.

The third game went back and forth. Cortez went up 3-1 but Mullen tied it at 3-3. Mullen led 4-6 off a kill by Molly Law. The Mustangs added two more points to go up 4-8. The teams traded one point and then with Waggoner serving tied the game at 9-9. It was tied 10-10 and again at 11-11, 13-13 and 14-14. But Mullen, with Danielle Porreco serving scored the final two points for the 14-16 win.

The Panthers would have to wait until Saturday morning to play their final pool play game against Sand Creek. A win would put Cortez into the semifinals and loss would eliminate them.

Cortez came out red hot and jumped out to a 3-1 advantage. They went up 5-1 off kills by Bauer and Waggoner. Sand Creek came back with a couple points but soon Cortez would capitalize on the Scorpions’ errors. Leading 8-2, Sand Creek came back with a couple strong points with a tip by Melanie Opetais and a kill by Yolanda Alfaro. The Scorps started knocking the ball long or into the net and fell behind 11-4. Cortez scored the four points and Sand Creek just one the rest of the game for the 15-5 final.

Again Cortez played well in the second game. A tip and a kill by Allison, a net ball, an ace by Waggoner and a block by Bauer and McCabe put Cortez up 5-1. Sand Creek cut the score to 5-3 and tied it a few minutes later at 5-5. An ace by Allison and a kill by Tanner put Cortez up 7-5. Pesky Sand Creek did not give up and cut the lead to 8-7. The Panthers regained their composure and went up 11-7. Mistakes by Sand Creek plus successive kills by Waggoner gave Cortez the 15-7 win.

The Bears, meanwhile, did not look the same team they did only a week earlier at Regionals.

They opened the Class 2A tourney by playing Strasburg late Friday morning. Three kills in a row by Erin Deffenbaugh put the Indians up 1-4 in the first game. Dolores tied the game at 5-5 thanks to a kill, a block, and later an ace by Brianna Hanson and a block by Shelly Rhodes. The teams traded points several times but soon the good Strasburg team was up 7-10. The Bears scored only one more point and fell 10-15.

In the second game, it was close for a little while. Trailing 4-6, the Indians went on scoring spree behind the serving of Kristi Krom. The score was soon 4-9. Tina Fursenau made several aces to put Strasburg up 5-12. After picking up one more point, the Indians scored the final three for the 6-15 win.

Julesburg was next Friday afternoon. Dolores went up 2-0, thanks to a tip mistake by the Lions a tip by Hanson. Julesburg knotted the score at 2-2 and then went on a scoring romp thanks to Dolores miscues. Julesburg was soon up 3-8. Dolores continued to make mistakes and fell behind 3-11. Suddenly the Bears began to play better. Trailing 4-12, Rachel Ragland served her team back into the game.

Julesburg jumped out to a 0-7 lead off kills and blocks by Loree Smith. Dolores scored a couple but the Lions added a couple more to lead 2-9. A nice block by Jennifer Beckman plus a mistake by Dolores put Julesburg up 2-11. Dolores added a couple points with Rhodes serving and strong play by Ruthie Martin. But Julesburg polished the Bears off for the 2-15 win.

Late Friday night, Dolores played its final game of the tournament in what would be a meaningless game against Swink. The Bears looked hungry early jumping out to a 5-1 lead thanks to a couple aces by Martin in the first game. Dolores led 7-3 but Swink battled back and soon trailed 8-6. The game was tied at 8-all. The Lions went up 9-8 and Dolores coach Joye McHenry called time. The game was close at 9-11 but Swink scored the final four points off Dolores mistakes for the 9-15 win.