Clovis falls to Artesia in season opener

CLOVIS — Clovis head volleyball coach Ruth Chavez did promise that her team would be scrappy this year. And the Lady Wildcats did indeed exhibit said scrappiness in Thursday’s season opener against Artesia at Rock Staubus Gymnasium.

But all scrappiness aside, there was the little matter of the final score — 3-1 in Artesia’s favor, with set results for Clovis of 9-25, 8-25, 25-23 and 10-25.

There was a stirring third-set comeback, just when it seemed the Lady Wildcats would end up on the business end of Artesia’s broom. Ultimately, however, it was an overall oucher for Clovis, and Chavez was the first to admit it.

“I thought we played scared and we played timid, and just didn’t play to our potential,” she said.

The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, played better than they had in their own season opener two days earlier at Carlsbad.

“Compared to Tuesday, I thought we’ve improved,” Artesia head coach Alan Williams said. “It’s just the second game of the season, so you see a lot of growth.”

Artesia burst out to a 10-2 lead in Thursday’s first set, and later built 18-6 and 22-7 advantages. Clovis then won successive points on a Kaci Cabeldue kill and a Madison Harmon ace, two bright spots for the Lady Wildcats. But they didn’t win another point in the set, falling 25-9.

Artesia won the first point of the next set, and though Clovis’ Tabatha Gallegos recorded a point to tie it 1-all, the Lady Bulldogs then won the next three straight and were on their way.

It was 11-7 Artesia before the Bulldogs reeled off 11 straight points to build a 22-7 lead. Clovis won the next point, but not another one in the set, and lost it 25-8, with Cora Cox’s ace closing it out.

In between sets, something jolted the Lady Wildcats into action. Maybe it was a pep talk from Chavez or the Bell Biv Devoe music playing on the p.a. system. But they showed some mettle in the third set, staving off defeat in the process.

The way that set began, however, it looked like ‘poison’ for the Lady ’Cats, as Artesia jumped ahead 5-0. But not so fast. Clovis pecked away and pecked away, and had soon tied it at 5.

Janelle Macias then gave the Lady Wildcats a 6-5 edge with one of her two aces.

Artesia quickly tied it at 6, but the Lady ’Cats built an 8-6 advantage. Then for awhile, Clovis either led or the set was tied.

Artesia finally reclaimed the lead, 19-18, on an Elliot Harrison kill, and it seemed like the Lady Bulldogs might get that sweep after all. But a few points later, it was 20-20.

A Kameron Kelley kill gave the Lady ’Cats a 21-20 lead before Clovis lost the next two points on service errors, and fell behind 22-21.

The Lady Wildcats, though, did tie it at 22, then went up a point when an Artesia return landed in the net. After Artesia forged a 23-all tie, Skyler Jordan polished off the set with a kill and then an ace, handing Clovis a 25-23 set victory.

The comeback certainly caught Artesia’s attention.

“Yeah, right?” Williams said. “It’s kind of like they woke up from their own hibernation. So you can see they’ve got potential.”

“It showed that we’re capable,” Chavez said. “We’re a better team than we showed tonight.”

Clovis opened the fourth set by taking a 2-0 lead. Was the rally going to continue? Were the Lady Wildcats going to tie the match and force a fifth and deciding set?

Not so much. Artesia won 12 straight points to take command of the fourth. Clovis’ smallest deficit margin the rest of the way was 14-7, though there was a great volley on the 29th point, probably the best of the night, featuring digs and and blocks aplenty. Kelley finally ended it with a kill, bringing the Lady ’Cats within 19-10.

They didn’t win another point, though, and dropped the set 25-10, with Sadie Ramirez’s ace closing it out.

Kelley finished with 10 digs and eight kills. Camyrn Barros had 17 digs.

“I thought Kameron Kelley and Camryn Barros played hard,” Chavez said. “Every play they played hard.”

Gallegos contributed nine digs and Cabeldue added six kills. There were also those two Macias aces.

Overall, though, it wasn’t a night the Lady Wildcats will likely want to remember, other than learning and growing from it.

“It’s not a great start,” Chavez said. “It’s a tough start, actually. ... We will get better.”