Lady Buffs advance to 1A state volleyball final

RIO RANCHO — Melrose took care of its business on Friday in the Class 1A state volleyball tournament, and the Lady Buffs were in line to reach their eighth consecutive state final and possibly with a fourth crown during that time.

The top-seeded defending state champions cruised past eighth-seeded Pine Hill 25-10, 25-15, 25-18 in a first-round match on Friday morning at Rio Rancho H.S., then summarily dismissed District 6-1A rival and fourth-seeded Fort Sumner 25-16, 25-8, 25-11 during an afternoon quarterfinal clash at Rio Rancho Event Center (formerly Santa Ana Star Center).

On Saturday, the Lady Buffs (24-1 advanced to the evening’s championship match with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-16 victory over another district rival, Logan, which ended the Lady Buffs’ perfect season in four sets last weekend in the district and regular-season finale.

“I think that’s definitely taken some pressure off coming into (the state meet),” Melrose coach Casey Jackson said after Friday’s competition. “I think it also woke us up a little bit and made us realize we can be beaten.”

Melrose was to face third-seeded Gateway Christian, a 25-14, 25-11, 25-11 winner over Fort Sumner in the other semi, in Saturday night’s championship match. The Lady Buffs have now been in every 1A final since 2014, winning titles in 2015, 2017 and last spring (the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 campaign).

“I thought we fought well,” Jackson said of Friday’s wins. “I feel like we’re peaking at the right time.”

Sophomore outside hitter Graci Odom had 16 kills, 14 digs and two blocks for the Lady Buffs against Pine Hill, while junior outside hitter Isabelle Sena had 13 kills, 11 digs and five aces.

Senior middle blocker Jayda Brittenum, who had 10 kills, 12 digs, seven aces and three blocks against Pine Hill (18-6), collected 15 kills, 13 digs and six blocks against the Vixens (18-7), who suffered their fourth loss to Melrose this season. Sena had 14 kills, 12 digs and three aces in the match, while senior setter Johanna Roybal had 67 assists in the two tilts.

“The girls are really coming together and enjoying the atmosphere,” Jackson said. “They’ve set a goal of trying to ‘out-team’ people, and I think they’ve done that.”