DOLORES – Through the ups and downs of their last four years, the final bittersweet moments of Dolores and Mancos volleyball seniors unfolded in a mix of laughter and tears.
In their final regular-season home matches of 2024, both teams walked off the court with Senior Day victories. Dolores surpassed its 2023 win total by sweeping Ridgway on Tuesday, while Mancos also took care of the visiting Demons on Saturday afternoon.
Dolores seniors Emma Kemp, Savannah Steigelmeyer and Morgan Chaffee, along with Bluejay Piper Franks joined their teammates and family to celebrate their respective victories.
Dolores established its dominance early against Ridgway, capturing the opening set 25-17, while showcasing its future with its underclassmen hitting display. The Bears followed that opening set up with 25-13 and 25-19 set victories to close out their home schedule.
“We’re making progress, and I don’t want that progress to end” said Bears coach Gina Hollen.
The Bears will finish right in the middle of the SJBL standings, their strongest league finish in the past three years.
“We’re getting a lot of positive feedback about how much the team is growing – and how much we’ve improved from the first time we’ve seen some of our opponents to the next,” Hollen said.
In their penultimate match of the season, the Bears pushed Telluride, a likely playoff team, to five sets.
Mancos, likewise, enjoyed a comfortable Senior Day win over the Demons ahead of the 2A regional assignment. Winners of three out of their final four matches, the Bluejays (16-7) will have a significant part of their rotation experience the postseason for the first time.
Dolores will close out its regular season this upcoming Tuesday at Ignacio. The Bluejays’ regular season wrapped up with a third-place finish in the San Juan Basin League.
