Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
RIO RANCHO — Championship Saturday saw a flurry of activity at the New Mexico State volleyball tournament, but plenty of familiar faces in the final matches.
Texico and Melrose both made their way back into their respective state title games — Melrose in 1A and Texico in 2A — as a match-heavy format kept the Santa Ana Star Center busy throughout the weekend.
Saturday evening title matches saw Texico facing off against Mescalero Apache and Melrose set to face Logan in a rematch of last year’s 1A championship.
In prior years, the Star Center and nearby schools would host pool play and early rounds. This year, the New Mexico Activities Association created a bracket that was double-elimination through Saturday morning, and single-elimination final four rounds that began Saturday afternoon in all five classes.
Texico was looking for its sixth-consecutive championship, and 12th in the last 14 seasons. Melrose is in its sixth-consecutive title game, the first two in Class 2A and the last four in Class 1A. The Buffaloes has won three of those previous five, and are coming off a defeat to Logan last year.
The Saturday championship matches were scheduled to begin after press time.
Both teams swept their way into the title match. Texico (18-6) beat Monte Del Sol Thursday, Mescalero Apache Friday and Pecos Saturday. The Buffaloes (22-0) defeated Carrizozo Thursday, Floyd Friday and Pine Hill Saturday.
The double-elimination format claimed Portales in Class 4A and Floyd in Class 1A.
Portales, seeded fourth in 4A, fell in a sweep to fifth-seeded Albuquerque Academy in the quarterfinals. The Rams recovered to sweep Miyamura in the contender’s bracket, but fell in five sets to ninth-seeded Hope Christian to finish the year at 19-7.
In Class 1A, Floyd took its first two matches Thursday, defeating 12th-seed Santa Fe Waldorf in four and upsetting fourth-seeded Quemado in five. But Friday wasn’t as kind, as the Broncos fell in a sweep to Melrose Friday and to Tatum in another sweep Saturday. The run ended Floyd’s season at 19-9.
