DOLORES – When the final point dropped to the floor at DHS Fieldhouse to cap a five-set victory over Norwood, the Bears mobbed the court. Their jubilation extended far beyond the impressive rally that helped them overcome a 2-1 set deficit, it also showcased a glimpse of what the Bears hope will be the next step in a resurgent year.
Dolores opened the season with a roster chock-full of underclassmen, and so while the Bears go through the growing pains of gaining varsity experience, they also know that they have time to continue to gel under 16th-year head coach Gina Hollen.
Few coaches boast a coaching longer tenure than Hollen – a fair number of her starters on the upcoming squad weren’t born when the DHS physical education teacher took the helm of the Bears back in 2009.
Plenty of her underclassmen did see significant action last season, so Dolores (3-17, 1-10 SJBL last year) hopes that the youth movement continues to lift the Bears back into the top half of the league standings – a place where the Bears held court for over a decade of Hollen’s time in charge.
Kendall Chavez, Madi Thornbrugh, and Taylor Erautt – two sophomores and a junior, respectively – have earned the roles as team captains this fall. Their high-level energy and consistency around the net have helped the Bears to build a foundation of attackers that the Bears hope to utilize to be more aggressive.
“Those girls have some of the most match experience,” said Hollen of her captain trio. “They’re dedicated, they’ll work hard and they want to win – and a lot of our girls put extra time into camps, so now it’s a matter of coming together.”
An iconic moment within their 3-2 victory over Norwood arrived in the opening set, when the Bears fended off a bevy of Maverick set points, rallying from 24-20 down to tie up the score, and eventually win the set 27-25.
“We were able to play more controlled – not get down on the little stuff – and then to have the perseverance to push through tough stretches,” said Hollen of her team’s effort to claw back in to the set, “it’s already better than it was last year.”
The Bears (1-3) battled back after dropping the second and third sets, edging past Norwood 25-22 in the fourth, before storming out to an early lead and a 15-10 final set win.
Sophomore Akaia Edwards joins a pair of seniors on the front-line rotation, with Class of 2025 contributors Savannah Stiegelmeyer and Emma Kemp looking to continue to elevate their game in their final year for the black-and-red. Junior Tierney Marsell looks to split setting opportunities with Thornbrugh, while sophomore libero Cheyanne Keim and freshmen Gracie Coker and Jordyn Erautt look to provide depth for the Bears.
“They’re continuing to build trust with one another, so we know that as they do, we’ll be able to cut down on some of the mistakes,” Hollen added.
The Bears get ready for San Juan Basin League action to get started in the coming week, with a trip to Nucla on Sept. 5 following a match against M-CHS two days earlier. Following their match against the Mustangs, the Bears will enjoy four of their next five matches on their home floor, including a meeting with rivals Mancos on Sept. 12 and Dove Creek on Sept. 17. In return, the Bears spend the last two weeks of the season primarily on the road, with Senior Day breaking up the road trip on Oct. 22 against Ridgway.
