Dolores looking to get back on track

Dolores looking to get back on track

Oct 6, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Dolores High School is looking today, Oct. 6, to get back on track again. They host Norwood in a San Juan Basin League volleyball match beginning at 10 a.m. in DHS Gym.

The Bears, favored to win the league’s regular-season title, have lost two of their last three matches. One of those losses, although it didn’t hurt them as far as the standings are concerned, lost Thursday night, Oct. 4, to Class 3A Bayfield 15-5, 3-15, 13-15. Dolores had defeated Bayfield in two games back on Sept. 27.

"We experimented with our lineup," DHS coach Joye McHenry said. "We put in a JV setter in our second game. This is what non-conference games are for. We wanted to put in some different combinations to see what they could do."

McHenry said she was pleased with the play of Sarah Nielson, who is almost 100 percent healed from an ankle injury, had a high hitting efficiency. Tracy Everett did a good job setting in the first game and in the third game.

The Bears allowed a rapidly-improving Dolores County team to go three games. Dolores beat the Bulldogs 15-4, 12-15, 15-3.

"We let some JV players play in the second game. We had to back in our regulars in the third game. But I was not happy with the way we served, making only 84 percent. We can’t do that and expect to win many games."

The Bulldogs’ Erin Fury did serve for five straight points in the second game. Dolores County played very well in the second game. After DCHS scored the first two points of the third game, the Bears came back strong. DCHS had serving problems which didn’t help its cause in that game.

It was a hard-hitting match on Sept. 28, as Telluride and Dolores tangled in DHS Gym.

Telluride showed off its powerful outside hitters and middle blockers during the match. The Bears lost 9-15, 15-9, 15-6 in Class A San Juan Basin League play.

In the first game with the Miners leading 1-2 with Sydney Melzer at the service line, Telluride extended its lead to 1-6 with kills by Rhea DePagter and Chelsey Padilla and a block for kill by DePagter. Following a couple unforced hitting errors, the Dolores trailed 6-3. Telluride soon extended its lead to 4-11 when McHenry called time-out. Dolores rallied and caught up at 9-11. Amanda Cross made a tap and Joni Everett spiked one for a kill during that run. But Telluride’s Melzer slammed a couple shots home for kills. Dolores made two hitting errors which ended the game at 9-15.

But the Bears would not give up at the start of the second game. Behind the serving of Ashley Smith followed by Tracy Everett, the Bears zipped out to a 5-0 lead. Smith made two consecutive aces. Dolores extended its lead to 7-1. With Jennifer Cross serving, the Bears increased their lead to 11-1. Telluride came back, but only because DHS started making mistakes including being out of rotation, making four hits, carrying the ball, and hitting the wide or long. An ace by Maddie Stephens got the Bears back on track. Dolores finally won 15-9.

Momentum is fickle in the sport of volleyball. It can swing one way and then another very quickly. Telluride exploded in the final game to an 0-8 lead. Dolores simply fell apart and self-destructed. The Miners continued to score points and moved out to an 0-11 advantage when McHenry called time. Dolores did score a few points with a short run which made the score 3-13. The teams traded several sideouts with DHS picking up a point here and a point there. Telluride called time with the score 6-13. Kimberly Hall scored the final two points, one of those was an ace serve.

Dolores had no problems defeating Bayfield Thursday night, Sept. 27, in a game that was postponed from Tuesday, Sept. 25. The nonconference game was played in Dolores.

DHS won the first game 15-9 and took the second 15-10.

"We played a very good match," McHenry commented.

She said she was pleased with the hitting performances of Tracy Everett, Amanda Cross, and Joni Everett. During the first game, Cross had three block-kills. Tracy Everett set and had a very high profeciency rating, more than 60 percent. During the match, the Bears were 100 percent in serves.

In the first game, Dolores went up 12-0 before McHenry substituted freely. In the second game, the Bears again were way up at 10-0 when the subs came in.

"Since this was a nonconference game and I knew we had the game under control, I wanted to try some different combinations and to sub in some girls to give them more varsity experience. That’s why they were able to come back on us," she remarked.

The Bears whipped San Juan Basin League foe Nucla with an easy 5-15, 3-15 win on Sept. 22. For the match, Dolores got 40 assists from Kristen Gustafson. Tracy Everett had six kills and she made five digs. Smith made five kills. Gustafson and Jennifer Cross made two service aces. Amanda Cross made two solo blocks.

Mancos High School had an easy time with Norwood in a San Juan Basin League match this past Saturday evening in the Mancos Performance Center. The Blue Jays smacked the Mavericks 15-3, 15-2.

"It was a pretty easy match for us," MHS head coach Mona Shepherd remarked. "We had a good attacking game and it was a great team effort."

She credited the attacks of Jori Yeomans. She also said that Rachel Russell and Lacey Morris played well. After the game was uncontrol, she substituted in some players off the bench. Jolene Thomas, Amy Smith, and Kassi Paxton all saw varsity playing time. "Those girls did very well for us," she said.

"We played as a very confident team," Shepherd added.

The Blue Jays lost two matches and won another in recent days. They traveled for a nonconference match at Bayfield, a team who they lost and then won against in the Blue Jay Tournament, and fell 15-8, 11-15, 12-15.

"The first game was a strong win. But in the second we got into a serve-receive rut and then started making mistakes. It was large crowed because it was Bayfield’s Homecoming. They had practiced against our triple blocks. We just beat ourselves. We didn’t attack and we struggled with getting momentum," Shepherd said.

Dolores County won its first league game of the season by whipping Nucla on the road on Sept. 28. The Bulldogs won easily 15-4, 15-5. Erin Ivie and Charlene Atkins had four kills while Shandra Johnson made three. Melinda Fury had 14 assists from her setter position. Ivie also made four blocks during the match. Johnson served four aces.

The Blue Jays had two matches canceled abruptly on them when Piedra Vista (Farmington) canceled on Sept. 29 and Monticello, Utah, canceled this past Tuesday, Oct. 2. Mancos was slated to host Nucla Friday night, Oct. 5. The Jays will host rival Dolores at 6 p.m. Tuesay, Oct. 9, in the Mancos Performance Center. Dolores County will host Telluride at 10 a.m. today in Bulldog Memorial Gym.

Montezuma-Cortez, meanwhile, returns to Class 4A Southwestern League play by visiting Fruita-Monument Friday night, and then playing Grand Junction High at noon today. The Panthers are certainly the class team of the SWL. MCHS outside hitters Casey Bauer and Stefanie Allison are currently ranked no. 1-2, respectively, in attacks, according to 4A state rankings. Bauer has 209 and Allison 148. Setter Emily Harclerode has 361 assists, leading the state. Allison is ranked no. 3 for digs with 114 and Bauer eighth with 89. No Panthers were ranked as far as serving goes.