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Capital High gets Albuquerque Academy again, along with Los Lunas in pool play of the state 5A volleyball tournament at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, and Rio Rancho and Cleveland highs
In 4A, St. Michaels is the 4th seed, Santa Fe Indian School No. 6, and in 3A Santa Fe Prep is the 8th seed and Desert Academy makes it in as No. 10
By ARNIE LESHIN , Santa Fe Today
Well, look who Capital High lines up against in pool play of the state 5A volleyball tournament that opens Thursday at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho?
After three matches in the regular season between District 2-5A frontrunner Albuquerque Academy and runner-up Jaguars, they meet up again in Pool C, with Los Lunas completing the trio.
Yes, they played three times and Capital lost each time, by 3-1 and by 3-2 twice. Three times, head coach Max Vargas’ girls won the first set, but couldn’t finish. In the second match at the Jaguars’ court, Capital won the first two sets, the second one at 25-13, then led late in set three before the Chargers charged back to win the next three.
In Saturday night’s match in the district tournament final at Academy, it again went a tense, exciting five sets before the Chargers took a collective deep breath once again and realized that no other opponent was as tough a task as these Jaguars.
So now they go at it a fourth time. Academy is the 6th seed, Capital 10th, and Los Lunas No. 3. The Chargers take a 15-6 record into play, the Jags are all even at 11-11, and Los Lunas at 18-4.
Albuquerque St. Pius X is the top seed and is 18-2. Second-seeded Artesia is 19-2. Rounding out 5A is Farmington (19-3), Santa Teresa (17-3), Roswell (11-10), Kirtland Central (13-8), Bloomfield (13-9), and Gallup (12-8).
In 4A, St. Michael’s is the 4th seed with a 16-6 record and three of the defeats coming to District 2-4A winner Robertson (19-2), which is the second seed. The Lady Horsemen are in Pool D with No. 5 Moriarty (17-5) and No. 9 Shiprock (12-7).
Also in the 4A field is Santa Fe Indian School, the 6th seed with a 15-7 record. The Braves are in Pool C with Portales (16-5) and Albuquerque Bosque School (13-9). The Rams are the third seed, Bosque is No. 9.
Albuquerque Sandia Prep (19-2) is the top seed and has won 14 in a row. (Robertson has won its last 10). The third seed is Portales.
Rounding out 4A is Albuquerque Hope Christian (11-11), Silver (13-8), Hatch Valley (13-8), and Cobre (11-6).
In 3A, Santa Fe Prep made it in as the 8th seed, is 13-9 and in Pool A with top seed Texico (18-4) and Capitan (10-10). In Pool 3 is 10th seed Desert Academy (10-10), Dexter (15-6) and Rehoboth Christian (19-2), which has won its 12, while Dexter has won 10-straight.
No. 4 Estancia (18-3) has reeled off 10 in a row. It is in the same pool with No. 5 Raton (18-3) and No.9 Loving (15-7). In the remaining pool, second-seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep (16-6) goes against No. 7 Dulce (16-3) and No. 11 Eunice (11-11).
This class will have pool play at the Santa Ana and at Rio Rancho High and Rio Rancho Cleveland. The same with 4A and 5A.
Santa Fe High did not make it into 6A. It needed a win at Clovis to remain in the running, but the 5-set loss left it out.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played Friday and Saturday, with the championship matches on Saturday.
