Playing on their home floor for the final time, Montezuma-Cortez volleyball gave their seniors a night to remember as the Panthers (11-5) eased past Ignacio in straight sets, 25-11, 25-16, 25-11.
Sending off their four seniors, the Panthers blitzed Ignacio right out of the gate. Big runs marked the first set, where the Panthers built a 19-8 lead before polishing off the Bobcats (7-13).
In the second set, junior Malia Begay set the tone with a pair of aces. The Bobcats, however, put up their best rally of the night, hanging within a point at 16-15. However, the Panthers turned to their front line dominance to post a 9-1 run to end the set. Freshman Avery Wright included a block and a kill in the rally.
From there, M-CHS carried their momentum into the third set, racing out a 13-2 lead. Fittingly, on senior night, all three varsity seniors contributed on back-to-back-to-back points. Nanabah Sam kicked off the run with a kill, followed by Chloe Seaburn with a kill and Aryelle Wright with an ace. From there, the Panthers coasted to close out the match.
The win over the Bobcats comes after the rigorous 3A Intermountain League schedule wrapped up, with the Panthers posting a record of 6-4. Their 11 wins are also the first time that this group of seniors enjoyed a double-digit victory campaign, with the last such season – a 13-11 mark in 2014 – coming when every current Panther was still in middle school or younger.
Meanwhile, a steady sequence of wins have had M-CHS on the move upward in the 3A RPI rankings, currently sitting in 32nd in the classification. The top 36 teams qualify for the regional tournament, of which 12 will advance to Denver for the State Championships.
For the Panthers, making the regional field in the state’s largest classification in terms of number of programs – 3A has 73 teams – would be a memorable feat in itself. M-CHS last qualified for the postseason back in the aforementioned 2014 season, when the school was still part of the 4A classification.
The Panthers have depended on the power of their front line, with a trio of seniors, outside hitter Aryelle Wright and middle hitters Seaburn and Sam, taking charge around the net.
The bond between Wright, Seaburn, Sam and fourth senior Susanna McDonald has been something that has only improved over their years together. “It’s been an honor to get to play with these girls,” said Wright, “it means a lot to be able to share our best season in our final year together.”
While the seniors have enjoyed the fruits of their four-year building process, the 2018 version of Panther volleyball has been reliant on a strong blend of experience and youth. Sophomore Devon McHenry and Avery Wright have each played prominent roles in the success of the Panther front line attack. Another pair of sophomores, setter Leigha Comisky and libero Amber Wood are on the floor for virtually every point.
The blend of veteran leadership and young talent has head coach Maddie Wright excited about the chemistry on the floor. “They’re out there working for each other and having fun,” said Wright. “The seniors are making good decisions out on the floor and are willing to help their younger teammates as well.”
Aryelle Wright reflected her head coach’s sentiments regarding this year’s success, “The program is growing,” said Wright. “Our team is so young; I’m so blessed to be around to be a leader on a team like this.”
While the home slate is done for the Panthers, they still have opportunities to pad their postseason resumé. A trip to Pueblo for an action-packed weekend at the Steel City Tournament gives the Panthers four more chances for wins against Front Range competition. From there, M-CHS will await its regional fate, with the postseason tournament commencing the first weekend in November.