SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Before the season began, the St. Michael’s volleyball team had already mapped out a plan. Most times, it doesn’t happen, this time it did.
“We knew we were good, and so we thought good enough to make the state tournament, maybe even win the championship,” said second-year head coach Valerie Sandoval after her team wrapped up a 23-2 record and 11-game win streak by turning back defending state 3A champion Albuquerque Sandia Prep in four sets Saturday afternoon.
You want more? St. Michael’s finished in a tie for first with Robertson in District 2-3A. Both went 9-1, so they played at Pojoaque Valley to settle things and the Lady Horsemen took all three sets in only an hour and 15 minutes.
They played Robertson five times and lost only the first match played at St. Michael’s in four sets. They rallied to win the rematch in five sets at Robertson. The next three times they faced the Cardinals, it was all sweeps, and this gave them 11 straight sets versus Robertson.
The Cards lost to Sandia Prep in last year’s final. This time, they were on their way back to Las Vegas after losing in another sweep against St. Michael’s in the semifinals, and this was the toughest of all. The sets went 25-22, 25-20, 25-21, and now it was the Lady Horsemen who were going to face the Sundevils in the final.
It also was a step forward. Last year, the Lady Horsemen went 17-7 and were swept in the semifinals by Sandia Prep. This time, it was them who received the state championship trophy and medals.
“It was great to see their faces when they lined up for their awards,” Sandoval said.
The event was again played at the Santa Ana Star Casino in Rio Rancho, and top seed St. Michael’s played like champions. They swept Cobre and Thoreau in Pool A. Then they swept past a 3rdseeded Navajo Prep team that was 20-2 and had won its last 20 matches. Then came Robertson.
Then came Sandia Prep out to win its ninth state title. The first set was close, but St. Michael’s pulled it out. Same with set two won by theSundevils, but in the third and fourth sets, the Lady Horsemen took care of business again to conclude a remarkable season. It was like the beat never changed.
The scores were 25-21, 19-25, 25-13, 25-17.
“They were nervous the first two sets,” Sandoval said, “but it didn’t affect their play.”
How good was this team of eight seniors, four juniors, and two sophomores?
Its schedule showed why. It was in the toughest district in 3A with Robertson, Albquerque Bosque School, Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe Prep. All but Bosque made it to state.
Then there’s the non-district schools it disposed of. Los Lunas defeated Goddard Saturday for the state 4A title.The Lady Horsemen swept Los Lunas handily during the regular season. They triumphed over 5A neighbor Santa Fe High twice, and the Demonettes also played at state. Los Alamos, which stunned Pojoaque on the road to win District 2-4A, was swept twice by St. Michael’s.
In district play, except for the 3-set lost to Robertson, the Lady Horsemen swept everybody twice. They were champs of the schools in the Santa Fe area, winning twice each over Indian School, Santa Fe Prep, Capital, and Santa Fe High.
And can’t leave out the Tournament of Champions title won at Santa Fe High.
Sandoval said it was great to see her team without a letdown at state, playing just like it had to.
“We were great at the net with Lily (Barker) and Mikayla (Bohlman), we had great serves from Darian Ortiz, Angela Griego, Miquela (Martinez) was great on defense, the blocking was led by Bohlman, and everyone just played well,” Sandoval said.
The coach added that Martinez, in her fifth year on varsity, was real good, that her energy was evident, and she took care of the digs she ran down.
The team’s other setback was in Albuquerque against 4A St. Pius X in four sets, and St. Pius was the No. 1 team in its class. The only other state championship won by the Lady Horsemen was in 2002, when they defeated defending champion Portales in four sets under head coach Chela Butler. Sandoval played for Butler, but not on that 19-4 team.
It was for Martinez her second state title, with her winning it in golf. She is a senior, as are Bohlman, Ortiz, and Griego, but the 6-foot Barker is only a sophomore, as is 5-11 Amber Marbourg.
But Sandoval will bring up players from a junior varsity that went 20-2. It’s been her program in such a short time, but she sure knows the way to the state championship.
They will be hanging a state volleyball championship banner in the gymnasium to honor the accomplishment.
