Three area teams roll into finals

Staff report

RIO RANCHO — Texico, Melrose and Elida all came to state volleyball competition this weekend as No. 1 seeds, and all will be playing for state titles today.

link Courtesy photo: Sports Fanatic Photography

Melrose junior outside hitter Addison Dial puts down a kill over Mora senior Korazon Romero during Friday’s Class 2A volleyball semifinal at Rio Rancho. The Lady Buffs won twice on Friday to advance to today’s 9 a.m. championship match against Ramah.

Texico defeated Mesilla Valley 25-13, 25-22, 25-12 in the Class 3A quarterfinals and Santa Fe Prep 25-11, 22-25, 25-18, 25-15 in the semis on Friday at Santa Ana Star Center. The Lady Wolverines (22-1) take on Navajo Prep, which beat Eunice in the other semifinal, at 1 p.m. today for the championship.

Jasmine Gannon had 38 kills in the two matches while Brianna Reyna compiled 35 kills and 34 digs. Setter Audrey Wren had 50 assists in the semifinal match.

The Lady Wolverines struggled briefly in the second game against Santa Fe Prep before pulling away.

Texico faced Navajo Prep in the 2008 state finals, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to win in five sets as part of a run of six consecutive state titles in then-Class 2A.

“I thought our girls battled and fought every play,” Lady Wolverines coach Kristen Scanlan said. “Navajo Prep will be tough competition.”

Melrose rode a big day from senior Caley Barnard (63 kills, 34 digs, seven blocks) past Mora 25-15, 14-25, 25-19, 25-22 and Tatum 25-18, 16-25, 25-11, 25-17.

The Lady Buffs (17-5) face Ramah, which upended Logan in the semifinal round, in the 1A final at 9 a.m.

Other than the second set in each match, the Lady Buffs pretty much had their way.

“It’s been our nemesis up here,” first-year coach Casey Jackson said. “We just kind of get a little lax.”

Ramah was impressive in dispatching Logan, a District 6-2A rival for Melrose which had split four matches this season with the Lady Buffs.

“They’re short girls, but really scrappy,” Jackson said. “They don’t hit as hard as we do, but they place the ball well.”

Elida (23-0) defeated Corona 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 and Santa Fe Waldorf 25-17, 25-8, 25-11 on Friday.

“Corona was pretty tough, but we played pretty well tonight (against Waldorf),” Elida coach Darrell Chenault said.

The Lady Tigers, who won the state title for all four years the NMAA had Class B, now look to make it five in a row today against Carrizozo. The teams have met at state all five years, Chenault noted — the first year in the semifinals, the last four in the finals.

“They’re playing really well,” Chenault said of the Lady Grizzlies (18-6), “but they lost their best outside hitter (senior Kaitlyn Pierson) to an injury during pool play.”

Two area teams were ousted in quarterfinal play on Friday. Fort Sumner lost to Logan 25-22, 25-16, 25-19 in Class 2A, while Grady dropped a 25-16, 25-16, 25-11 decision to Carrizozo in Class 1A.

At Rio Rancho

Santa Ana Star Center unless noted

(Seeds in parentheses)

CLASS 6A

Friday

Quarterfinals

Sandia def. La Cueva 25-22, 25-23, 25-23

Cibola def. Onate 25-9, 25-18, 25-18

Rio Rancho def. Gadsden 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-20

Rio Rancho Cleveland def. Volcano Vista 25-13, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19

Semifinals

Cibola def. Sandia 25-23, 20-25, 15-25, 25-13, 15-11

Rio Rancho def. Rio Rancho Cleveland 15-25, 11-25, 27-25, 25-18, 15-9

Saturday

Championship

Cibola vs. Rio Rancho, 7 p.m.

CLASS 5A

Friday

Quarterfinals

Piedra Vista def. Albuquerque Academy 25-16, 26-24, 26-24

St. Pius def. Los Alamos 25-18, 25-14, 25-13

Centennial def. Espanola Valley 25-15, 25-18, 25-12

Roswell Goddard def. Los Lunas 25-15, 25-21, 25-21

Semifinals

Piedra Vista def. St. Pius 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21

Centennial def. Roswell Goddard 25-17, 25-27, 25-19, 25-18

Saturday

Championship

Piedra Vista vs. Centennial, 3 p.m.

CLASS 4A

Friday

Quarterfinals

Portales def. West Las Vegas 25-18, 20-25, 26-24, 19-25, 15-13

Sandia Prep def. Bosque 25-22, 26-24, 25-16

Silver def. Pojoaque 25-20, 18-25, 25-8, 25-20

Ruidoso def. Hope Christian 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 12-25, 15-13

Semifinals

Sandia Prep def. Portales 28-26, 25-11, 22-25, 21-25, 15-6

Ruidoso def. Silver 25-12, 22-25, 27-25, 25-22

Saturday

Championship

Sandia Prep vs. Ruidoso, 11 a.m.

CLASS 3A

Friday

Quarterfinals

Texico def. Mesilla Valley 25-13, 25-22, 25-12

Santa Fe Prep def. Desert Academy 25-13, 25-17, 25-10

Eunice def. Santa Rosa 25-20, 25-21, 25-21

Navajo Prep def. Tularosa 25-10, 25-15, 25-10

Semifinals

Texico def. Santa Fe Prep 25-11, 22-25, 25-18, 25-15

Navajo Prep def. Eunice 25-21, 21-25, 25-32, 25-13

Saturday

Championship

Texico vs. Navajo Prep, 1 p.m.

CLASS 2A

Friday

Quarterfinals

Melrose def. Mora 25-15, 14-25, 25-19, 25-22

Tatum def. Mountainair 25-20, 25-16, 25-13

Ramah def. Jal 25-19, 25-16, 25-11

Logan def. Fort Sumner 25-22, 25-16, 25-19

Semifinals

Melrose def. Tatum 25-18, 16-25, 25-11, 25-17

Ramah def. Logan 25-18, 25-15, 27-25

Saturday

Championship

Melrose vs. Ramah, 9 a.m.

CLASS 1A

Friday

Quarterfinals

At Cleveland H.S.

Quemado def. Cimarron 25-19, 15-25, 25-19, 25-14

Santa Fe Waldorf def. Coronado 25-18, 26-24, 22-25, 25-20

Elida def. Corona 25-20, 25-20, 25-17

Carrizozo def. Grady 25-16, 25-16, 25-11

At Santa Ana Star Center

Semifinals

Elida def. Santa Fe Waldorf 25-17, 25-8, 25-11

Carrizozo def. Quemado 25-14, 25-15, 25-23

Saturday

At Santa Ana Star Center

Championship

Carrizozo vs. Elida, 5 p.m.