Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Melrose senior defensive specialist Eden Lunsford goes to the deck for a dig during Tuesday's volleyball match against Clovis High at The Rock. The defending Class 1A state champion Lady Buffs notched a five-set win over the Lady Wildcats.
CHS senior outside hitter Ashlynn Evans tries to block Melrose sophomore setter Kailey Jackson during Tuesday's match.
After enduring a tough five-set loss two nights earlier to Melrose, it took Clovis High's volleyball team a while to get cooking on Thursday night against Lovington at Rock Staubus Gymnasium.
Three aces from junior outside hitter Lileigh Oborny, including two to start her service run, did the trick and the Lady Wildcats eventually cruised to a 25-16, 25-10, 25-7 victory over winless Lovington.
CHS struggled a bit to put the first set away and led just 10-7 in Game 2 before a kill by senior libero/defensive specialist Jori Mondragon returned service to the Lady Cats.
Replacing senior Ashlynn Evans at the service line, Oborny's aces extended the margin to five and before she was done it was a 13-point lead for the Lady Cats (5-3).
"I think we had a mentality shift," senior middle hitter Brooke Renteria said. "We started having fun with each other, and I think that's when we play our best."
Lovington (0-10) couldn't regain momentum after that and Clovis quickly took control in Game 3 to finish it.
Evans led the way on the front row for the Lady Cats, compiling 15 kills. Meantime, Renteria had two of the team's three blocks and the team compiled 15 aces, spread among seven players.
CHS coach Cristy Hill said Lovington is certainly better than its record.
"They're not bad," she said. "They've just been on a losing streak, and mentally that's hard."
Oborny's three aces tied her for team honors with Mondragon and senior setter Amanda De La Rosa, who also posted 21 assists.
"Jori and Lileigh had long runs for us (at the service line)," Hill said. "When we picked up our serve and Ashlynn gets those hits, it gets us turned around."
Senior middle hitter/outside hitter Charlie Greebon posted eight kills to top Lovington.
Next up for the Lady Cats is a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday date at Roswell Goddard.
Melrose 3, Clovis 2 – The defending Class 1A state champion Lady Buffs outlasted CHS in five sets for the second year in a row, riding 12 kills, 10 digs, three blocks and five aces from junior outside hitter Hally Draper and 10 kills, four blocks and six aces from eighth-grade middle blocker Braylan Morgan.
"We played well," Melrose coach Casey Jackson said. "We showed a lot of growth and grit tonight. We played unselfishly as a team."
Melrose (5-1), ranked second in Class 1A behind Logan, had a chance to finish it in the fourth set, but the Lady Cats scored seven of the final 10 points to break away from an 18-18 tie.
Senior setter Tylee Hill, playing more of a defensive specialist role, added 10 digs and a team-high eight aces for the Lady Buffs, while sophomore setter Kailey Jackson – the coach's daughter – delivered 51 assists.
"Tylee Hill really helped us out in our serve-receive," coach Jackson said.
For the Lady Cats, Evans had 22 kills, six digs and five aces. Senior libero/defensive specialist Jacenia Jimenez added a match-high 21 digs.
"We sent a lot of free balls over, and when you do that you're asking the other team to set it and hit the ball down your throat," Hill said. "When we were the aggressor, it was good.
"Defensively, it's hard to keep digging balls when you're not aggressive. I think at one point we sent four or five free balls in a row over the net."
