Dolores

Dolores, DCHS, Mancos all win volleyball matches

Sept 8, 2001

STAFF REPORT

Dolores, Dolores County, and Mancos all recently picked up varsity prep volleyball wins.

Dolores got its 2001 season off to a big start by defeating the Buckaroos in Monticello, Utah, on Tuesday, Sept. 4, with a 15-10, 15-10 victory.

The Bears, under the direction of Joye McHenry, got excellent play from Sarah Nielson, Amanda Cross, Tracy Everett and Joni Everett.

Nielson served the ball eight times and collected two aces and scored three points. She had 12 attacks and made seven kills and three digs for the whole match. Cross scored four points, had 12 attacks and five kills. She had five digs. Tracy Everett served for five points. She had seven attacks and five kills. She had four digs. Joni Everett had a good day at serve-receive with 10. She had a pair of kills and scored two points.

Kristen Gustafson, the setter, made 17 assists. She served for seven points. Ashley Smith made three service aces. She also made four kills.

The Bears did not have a great night blocking, making only two.

DHS is competing in the Farmington High Invitational Tournament. This is a large tournament with 16-teams participating. One bracket is playing games at Piedra Vista High School and the other at FHS.

Dolores County opened the season at Monticello on Aug. 30 with a 9-15, 5-15 loss under first-year head coach Sarah Glover. The Bulldogs, who only won one match a year ago under Scott Crawford, showed improvement in the game despite some first-game jitters. Melinda Fury served for seven of DCHS’s nine points in the first game.

The Bulldogs competed all day last Saturday, Sept. 1, at the Ouray Tournament. They advanced all the way into the championship game.

They opned the match by beating Bayfield JVs 6-15, 15-11, 15-12. Erin Ivie served for 10 points during the match. The girls got more and more kills but floor coverage wasn’t the best.

DCHS then took on host Ouray and won 15-10, 15-6. Erin Fury and Ivie both served for nine points apiece during the match.

The Bulldogs crushed Ridgway 15-4, 15-6 in the final round-robin game. Shandra Johnson made three kills and Melinda Fury scored nine points. DCHS had earned the top seed going into the tournament portion of the event.

DCHS had no problems with Ouray JVs, winning 15-6, 15-8. Melinda Fury scored 11 points in the semifinal game. DCHS advanced to the finals play Bayfield JVs. This time the young Wolverines prevailed. DCHS won the first game 15-11 but lost 6-15, 6-15 the last two games. Johnson recorded four kills.

Mancos showed some first-game jitters as well as the Blue Jays visited Montezuma-Cortez High School JVs and won 15-12, 15-17, 15-11.

"The good news was that we won but we were way up all three games and we let them back in," MHS head coach Mona Shepherd said. "For instance, we were up 13-1 in the first game and we were up 8-1 in the third. We would have these small slumps."

Katie Rosso and Jori Yeomans, playing on the left side, were a force. Both made strong hits, according to Shepherd. Rachel Russell had a solid game in the middle by making good reads and coming up with blocks. Katie Paxton, who was moved back to the middle from the left last year, had a good match. She ran some nice quicks. She also was involved in six blocks. Angela Hall came through in the end with several kills towards the end of the third game.

A game match is looming at Dove Creek at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, as the Bulldogs and Bears open San Juan Basin League play. Mancos is hosting its Lady Jay Invitational all day today, Sept. 8, in the Mancos Performance Center. Bayfield, Monticello, and Piedra Vista are expected.

Montezuma-Cortez, which has been idle since soundly beating Aztec High a week ago, is playing all day today at the Eaglecrest Tournament.