Lady Rams split with Texas foes

FRIONA – The Portales High volleyball team stepped across the state line to challenge itself on Saturday, coming away with a split to see its seven-match winning streak come to an end.

In the opener, the Lady Rams (12-3) whacked overmatched Amarillo Highland Park 25-16, 25-16, 25-14 before host Friona handed them a 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-12 setback.

“Friona has a really good team,” PHS coach Bailey Greenwalt said. “They have five really good hitters, so it was good for us to play them. There’s a lot to learn from that loss.”

While the first three games against the Squaws (30-8) were close, Portales needed to erase a 10-point deficit to get the match squared. But the Lady Rams faded a bit in the final set at the end of a long day.

“Our defense really had to work, and they stepped up,” Greenwalt said. “We just weren’t able to turn the digs into kills.”

Senior Audrey Paden had seven kills and three aces for PHS, while Banda had four kills, two blocks, five digs, two aces and 20 assists. Junior Addison Ainsworth had a solid match with five kills and three blocks.

Sophomore Skyler Massey added five kills, while juniors Angel Ornelas and Mariah Velasco had 10 and nine digs, respectively. Senior Cydnee Massey led the team with five assists.

In their first match of the day, the Lady Rams had little trouble with Highland Park (2-17) as Skyler Massey notched 15 kills and three blocks, Ainsworth collected five kills and three blocks, Paden had eight kills and three aces and Banda posted eight digs and 35 assists.

PHS never trailed against the Lady Hornets, who have dropped 14 consecutive matches.

Portales’ next outing is a 2 p.m. clash on Saturday against Las Vegas Robertson at the Ram Athletic Center.

Goddard tops PHS boys – At Roswell, senior forward Oscar Varela scored a pair of goals and the Rockets posted a 3-0 District 4-4A boys soccer win over the Rams on Saturday.

Varela scored late in the half to give Goddard (9-6-1, 1-1 district) a 1-0 lead at the intermission, and he added his second tally early in the second half.

“It was a good game; we played hard,” Rams coach Dustin Harden, whose squad was coming off an upset win over Lovington in its district opener on Thursday. “Both teams came to play. We’re playing better and better.”

For the match, senior goalkeeper Mathew Garcia collected 15 saves for the Rams (2-7-1, 1-1), who were outshot on goal 18-3.

Next up for Portales is a 5 p.m. district clash on Thursday at Artesia.