Top-seeded Santa Fe High in 5A will need to turn back District 6-5A opponent Rio Rancho Cleveland

One more win at home Thursday against District 6-5A rival Rio Rancho Cleveland would sent top-seeded Santa Fe High into the 5A final to be played at UNM’s Dreamstyle Arena Saturday.

But first the Demonettes have to defeat the Storm again following Tuesday’s night 4-set win over visiting 8th-seeded Clovis at Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium. The scores were 25-17, 26-24, 21-25, 25-15, as Santa Fe became 9-1 overall, won the district regular season, and now plays Cleveland for the third time in as many weeks.

The 5th-seeded Storm kept its season alive by turning back previously unbeaten Piedra Vista, the 4th-seed, in straight sets. In the other Final Four match-up, it will be 3rd-seeded La Cueva playing at 2nd-seeded Las Cruces Centennial. They are both undefeated, have lost only two sets all season, and are the last teams with unblemished records in 5A.

There will be fans allowed at the Demonettes-Storm match in Santa Fe, but for the finals, there will not be fans allowed in the stands by results of pandemic colors that favor the City Different and not Bernalillo County. In fact, none of the matches at UNM will allow fans.

Six-seeded St. Michael’s in 3A hopes to reach the Final Four when it plays today at 2nd-seeded Albuquerque Sandia Prep, who turned back the visiting Lady Horsemen in three close sets of the season-opener for the District 2 schools. St. Michael’s is 7-3 overall after sweeping 5th-seeded Raton on the road Monday and the Sundevils 11-1 after doing the same against 8th-seeded Dexter the same day.

The No. 1 seed is Socorro, which is unbeaten in a dozen matches. The title match will be played Friday before empty stands.