Some volleyball goals reached for Tigers, Eagles & Jags

Rio Rancho

Neither Belen, Valencia nor Los Lunas reached their main goal when the New Mexico State Volleyball Championships concluded last week at Rio Rancho Events Center.

Still, BHS and VHS snapped different skids in 4A, with LLHS again cementing a spot among the top teams in 5A.

Top-five finish for Tigers

In the 5A tournament, Los Lunas went 3-2 to grab fifth place, with losses to a pair of old nemeses.

The championship started on an encouraging note, with LLHS, a seven-seed, handling Organ Mountain in four sets. After splitting the first two games, 25-18 and 24-26, Los Lunas refocused to put the match away 25-15 and 25-20.

“I thought it was a very interesting match. It was back and forth,” said Madison Pruitt, LLHS defensive specialist. “It was pretty fun to play though.”

Pruitt admitted it was a tougher contest than she expected.

That set up a showdown with No. 2 La Cueva, which posted a dominating 25-8, 25-14, 25-16 victory. The Bears defeated LLHS earlier this season as well as during the 2024 state tournament.

“They’re just a really good team,” Pruitt noted before the meeting. “They’re well rounded.”

The effort to reach the final four continued for the Tigers, with victories over No. 8 Cibola (25-20, 25-17, 29-31, 25-19), and a five-set thriller against No. 11 Centennial (25-15, 25-27, 25-14, 19-25, 15-8).

The run ended in the next match, with No. 4 Albuquerque High defeating LLHS for the fifth time this season, 26-24, 25-16, 25-18.

Los Lunas coach Tanya Sanchez said the team had an up and down season with “big wins and losses, but they finished strong when it counted — finishing top five, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Valencia breaks through

The topic of conversation around the Valencia program often this season was don’t just qualify for the 4A State Championship but win at least one game. During the previous two seasons, the Jaguars, seeded 10th, reached the tournament but came home 0-2 each time.

The goal was quickly reached in the first game, an impressive 25-18, 25-19, 25-17 upset win over No. 7 Portales.

“It’s awesome. It feels good,” said VHS coach Martha Sisneros. “We just stayed with the foot on the gas and finished it.”

Christelle Pacheco, a junior defensive specialist and libero, often kept Portales off-balance with hard to handle serves.

“If you get a good contact on the ball it will float and go straight over” the net, said Pacheco, one of the shortest players in the tournament.

Valencia fell 3-1 to No. 2 Goddard in the next round. Inside that loss was an example of the Jaguars’ explosiveness, a dominating 25-11 effort in the third set.

The next game, a 3-2 loss to Santa Teresa, was a “real heartbreak, for sure,” according to Sisneros.

After dropping the first two games by identical 25-21 scores, the Warriors rallied to win the next three to advance.

A string of mistakes in the third set, a 25-16 score, put the Jaguars on their heels. From there, Santa Teresa won two tight games, 25-23 and 15-13, to finish off the match.

“Being up two sets in a match shows what we’re capable of, but finishing is a part of the game we’re still learning,” Sisneros said later Friday. “This season was a testament to growth, grit and heart. The growth we saw on and off the court is something to celebrate.”

Belen breaks barriers

The mission for BHS this season was to break down the invisible barrier, which has kept the Eagles out of the state tournament since at least 2006.

When Belen was selected as the 12th seed in the 4A tournament, the last team in the field, the Eagles carried not only excitement into the RREC but nervousness as well.

“I felt we had jitters. We were nervous,” said Shenoa Branch, BHS interim head coach, about the Eagles first match against fifth-seeded Albuquerque Academy, a 25-14, 25-7, 25-11 setback.

While there were a few tears as the team huddled after the match, one player drew laughter when she shouted, “Yeah, we lost, but we lost at state.”

That proclamation showed pride in reaching the big stage after years of frustration.

“My girls have not been in an arena like this,” said Branch about the reason for the jitters. “I’m excited for my girls. I’m glad they have this opportunity.”

Freshman Khloee Padilla said the atmosphere was “insane — It’s really good to be here and get the experience with all these girls. I love my team.”

Even though Belen was eliminated in the next game, a 3-0 loss to No. 3 Silver, the Eagles settled down, pushing the Colts to 26-24 in the third set.

“We faced some tough opponents in the tournament but I feel that our girls gave it their all. What more can a coach ask for?” said Branch, who replaced Buddy York, who was fired for unexplained reasons just days before the tournament. “The Belen High School program looks bright and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Red vs. Green All-Star Volleyball game

Three players from Los Lunas and one from Valencia have been selected for Saturday’s Red vs. Green All-Star Volleyball Games for seniors at St. Pius X in Albuquerque.

LLHS is represented in 5A by Madison Pruitt, Kori Robinson and Lynae Hands. Jaiden Montgomery of VHS will play in the 3A/4A game.