Lady Miners building through initial stretch

Telluride senior Kassidy Atherton (15) passes a Parachute Grand Valley

serve to the front row during Day 1 play at the season-opening Rangely

Invitational, August 18-19. (Photo by Joel Priest)

Head coach Lorrie Mahoney knew Telluride’s first 2A/1A San Juan Basin League volleyball match would be tough.

After all, she knew the opponent had out-classed all four foes faced at the season-opening Rangely Invitational (August 18-19), and needed only the minimum eight games—in the tournament’s best-of-three match format—to earn the championship.

“They have a really vibrant crowd, so it’s always fun to play at Dove Creek,” said Mahoney, her Lady Miners departing the Panther Den, having saved fifth place. “I saw them a little (in Rangely) and they look like they didn’t really graduate a lot of kids. Their team looked similar to what it was last year, so I’m kind of approaching it by watching film…and trying to adjust.”

But however knowledgeable THS may have been regarding the Lady Bulldogs—who’d entered the Invitational ranked No. 5 in the preseason CHSAANow.com Class 1A poll—it wasn’t enough inside ‘The DawgHouse’ on Aug. 26, as DCHS recorded a 25-18, 25-9, 25-16 sweep.

Junior Ralynn Hickman totaled 16 kills and seven digs for Dove Creek (5-1 overall, 1-1 SJBL, 0-0 1A SJBL), and senior Kylie Gatlin booked eight and eight, plus fired six service aces. Senior setter Kalie Gatlin totaled 28 assists and came up with a team-high nine digs. Individual figures for Telluride (1-3, 0-1, 0-0 2A SJBL) had not been tallied and reported as of press time.

The Lady Miners were to next host Ridgway on Tuesday, August 29. Results were unavailable at press time, as THS sought to return to the confident form presented on Day 2 up in Rio Blanco County.

Pit against Hayden after competitive Day 1 losses to Parachute Grand Valley (23-25, 20-25) and RHS (25-22, 16-25, 13-15), Telluride took HHS down in a 25-13, 25-17 sweep. Definitely not the momentum — and morale — boost the Lady Tigers sought for themselves going into an 8/25 home match versus Baggs, Wyo., Little Snake River Valley (26-11 overall in 2022, WHSAA Class 1A State Championships qualifier) and a visit from Western Slope League powerhouse Meeker (25-4, CHSAA Class 2A State Championships ‘Final Four’ participant in ’22) the next day.

“We had a team back out…at the last minute, and we could only play two games in our pool,” Mahoney noted. “So we ended up in the fifth-place (match) and…beat Hayden in two! It was really great to see the kids come alive like that.”

“The game against Rangely was incredible; we went three with them, played well,” she added. “I really felt I found a rotation that was working and utilizing everyone’s strengths, so it all played out really well.”

With her offense directed efficiently by setters Kassidy Atherton and LillyAnn Mahoney, the boss wasn’t surprised that sophomore middle Delia Noel’s hard hitting helped set THS’ tone.

“I’m so bummed because our iPad…we thought it was recording and it wasn’t, so I wasn’t able to get the stats for that game,” Mahoney admitted, with something of an amazed laugh. “But she really came alive; had a ton of kills.”

“As did Isla Silva,” she continued, saluting a senior who’d had to switch up her game a fair amount against RHS, and 6’2” senior Annika Cantrell in particular. “Against Rangely…they have that big right-side, and (Silva’s) favorite shot is the line. So it was like, ‘Okay, line’s not going to work!’ And she immediately adjusted, started crushing cross and angle — a smart hitter, Isla is.”

Another attacking option, senior Clara Kunz, presented herself well throughout the Invitational, and particularly with Telluride wanting to leave town on a high note after two close calls.

“We had her playing right-side for Lilly’s front row,” Mahoney explained, “and she was crushing the ball, blocking. Clara did fantastic…really came alive against Hayden.”

Which meant the Lady Miners never really rested after nearly upsetting the host school. Able to twice build up an eight-point lead en route to taking the first game versus the Lady Panthers, THS bounced back after dropping the second and incredibly erased a 12-8 deficit in the tiebreaker — with senior libero Bryn Geiger firing an ace for a sudden 13-12 lead in the race to 15.

RHS’ Ashley Terrin took a timeout, and a refreshed Cantrell followed with a tying kill. Unfortunately for Telluride, Rangely junior Emma Winder then served an ace, and classmate Lexi LeBleu then spiked down a kill, ending one of the tourney’s most exciting matches, but leaving the Lady Miners confident about their Day 2 prospects.

After hosting Ridgway, Telluride is scheduled to travel to the Gunnison Invite on September 2.

Rangely Invitational Final Standings:

1.Dove Creek, 2.Rangely, 3.De Beque, 4.Parachute Grand Valley, 5.TELLURIDE, 6.Hayden, 7.Cedaredge (CHS went 0-3 in the pool-play phase and, due to the odd number of teams, did not compete in the placing matches).

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