SJL volleyball picture to get clearer

SJL volleyball picture to get clearer

Oct. 21, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The Class 2A volleyball picture in the San Juan Basin League will be totally cleared by the end of today, Oct. 21. This is the last day of the regular-season action.

What is known right now is that Telluride will be the top seed for the District Tournament which will be held all day Oct. 28 in Nucla. Although Dolores defeated the Miners 9-15, 15-9, 16-14 Thursday night, Oct. 19, in DHS Gym, Telluride will get the edge as the top seed because of head-to-head meetings. After pool play, the top teams will emerge and then the top two will play for seedings into Regionals set for Nov. 4. The Class 2A State Volleyball Tournament will be held at the Denver Coliseum this year (instead of Denver University where it was last year when the Bears attended), Nov. 11-12.

Several games are on tap today. Nucla is visiting Dolores at noon, and Mancos host Dolores County at noon in area league games. Dolores County will definitely be one of the teams playing in the pigtail matches which are set for Tuesday, Oct. 24.

In the Bears’ match against the Miners Thursday night, Dolores seemed to go through an attitude adjustment.

"I think my girls definitely went through an attitude adjustment. The first game they were enjoying talking to each other (not necessarily about the game at hand) and communicating about the game. Telluride was serving deep and the Bears were not digging the balls and trying to get balls going out-of-bounds and not making good passes," Dolores coach Joye McHenry said.

"We then started communicating and letting their deep serves go in the second game. I think Telluride had eight service errors. Our serve-receive got better and we then made better passes and sets," she added.

The teams played an exciting game in the decisive third set. It was tied at 5-5. Telluride went ahead 6-10 and Dolores went back up 11-10. The score was tied again at 14-all before the Bears scored the final two points for the game and match win.

McHenry cited the play of Sarah Nielson for attacking, Amanda Cross for blocks, Tracy Everett for smart play, and Ashley Smith and Joni Everett for overall play. But she also said that seniors Rachel Ragland and Amber Simmons played well defensively and took the hitting game away from the Miners.

Norwood upset Dolores 10-15, 14-16 on Oct. 14 in league play. The Bears lost to Piedra Vista (Farmington) 8-15, 14-16 this past Tuesday, Oct. 17, in their final nonconference match of the season.

Norwood 2, Dove Creek 1

The Bulldogs have improved to the point where they are taking teams to three games instead of bowing out quickly in two. They fell in three to a very good Montezuma-Cortez JVs and lost in three to Norwood 14-16, 15-7, 6-16 last weekend.

DCHS head coach Scott Crawford reported that better net play has been one of the reasons for the marked improvement. Charlene Atkins has been blocking well. Shandra Johnson, only a freshman, has been playing very solid at outside hitter. She led the team with six kills. Krystal Neely, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, had three kills.

The Bulldogs also have been getting better with floor coverage. Johnson made 11 digs. Neely had eight. He also cited the play of April Rocha and Melinda Fury.