BHS-VHS volleyball rivalry brings postseason implications

When Belen (11-4, 0-1) and Valencia (11-4, 1-0) meet on the volleyball court on Tuesday, the VHS gym will be jumping.

Not only are the Eagles and Jaguars district and county rivals, with excellent records, but in recent years whichever team wins the series earns a berth in the 4A State Championship. The losers stay home. That may be the case once again.

Over the past three years, VHS is 6-0 against the Eagles, helping the Jaguars reach the state tournament in 2023 and 2024. Despite the lopsided record, BHS has been competitive in most of those contests, which makes this years’ match-up so compelling and pressure-packed.

“Our girls like pressure. They’re good under pressure,” said Shenoa Branch, an assistant to BHS head coach Buddy York.

Branch has seen the rivalry from both benches, starting when she was an assistant with VHS more than a decade ago.

“People underestimate us,” Branch said of the Eagles. “It’s like a David and Goliath thing. There’s St. Pius, then there’s Valencia, then there’s us, but we’ve got stones.”

“It’s a rivalry, but any 4A (opponent) is a rivalry to us,” is the analysis of Martha Sisneros, VHS head coach.

The top team in any district automatically qualifies for state, leaving the rest to earn criterion points based on numerous factors to reach the postseason.

That’s why coaches like Sisneros want to prove their worth during the regular season.

“We don’t want to leave it up to that,” she said. “We don’t want to leave it to the ‘what ifs.’”

That can be challenging when playing in District 5-4A with top-ranked St. Pius, the two-time defending state champion. Valencia opened the district schedule Tuesday against the Sartans, winning/losing ____.

As for the first of two scheduled meetings this season between Belen and Valencia, the players are ready to go.

“I do like playing them. It gets me excited,” said Estrella Sutton-Montano, BHS junior hitter. “The adrenaline rush starts to kick in.”

“That game is always fun,” said Jaiden Montgomery, senior outside hitter for Valencia, citing the pressure, emotion and what’s at stake. “It has such a large impact on how the rest of our season goes.”

With the schools so close in distance, expect the bleachers to be packed.

“Their student section comes, our student section comes,” said Kenzie Goar, VHS senior. “The parents are just going at it, we’re going at it. It’s just a fun thing, how loud it gets.”

There also seems to be mutual respect.

“I think they are a really good team,” noted Genevieve Sanchez, Belen junior. “They have a good outside,” highlighting the Valencia attackers. “Their defense is pretty good, too.”

Goar of Valencia simply said, “I think they (BHS) are going to bring it this year.”

Branch, the Eagles coach, agrees.

“We’re not afraid,” she said. “We can be friends, but when we’re on the court, it’s a different story.”

First serve is at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, following the junior varsity game.