ST. MICHAEL’S WINS STATE HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

I first met Valerie Sandoval on the phone in 2014. She had applied for the head coaching girls volleyball position at St. Michael’s, her alma mater. She had played there, and at this time had been rather busy with a few other important jobs, but when the position opened she figured she’d somehow find the time to coach her favorite sport, and she even added she would have real good assistant coaches.

Except that there was no one around to hire her. Then athletic director Tom Manning was at an athletic director’s convention in Atlanta with then Pojoaque Valley A.D. Matt Martinez, when he learned from his office that a letter had arrived from Sandoval that specified she was applying for the coaching position. So Manning contacted me, ran off her phone number, and asked me to give her a buzz.

I did, I spoke with her and she was ecstatic about possible landing the job, I recall her telling me that she’s been around volleyball for quite some time and the experience of coaching it at St. Michael’s would be just great. So I got back to Manning, gave him all the notes I took down regarding her, and he agreed with me that Sandoval sounded just right for the vacated job.

When he returned, he called me and told me he had hired her. I said that was neat. I called her and congratulated her, wished her good luck, and even called her former St. Michael’s coach, Chela Butler, to inform her of this.

Well, despite her other employment (New Mexico Children’s Youth Family Department), she’s been excellent, a state championship in her second year, 2018, over Albuquerque Sandia Prep, and a second one this past Saturday, 3-1, over district rival Robertson, which had also won twice the last five years and in a pair of finals had defeated the Lady Horsemen in 2019 and 2021.

Along with managing other things in her life, including having her sophomore daughter Marissa Sandoval-Moya, a 5-foot-7 setter, offensive hitter, on the varsity. Versus the defending champion Cardinals, she came away with eight digs, one more then she had in the state 3-0 semifinals win over Albuquerque Sandia Prep.

Now in her sixth season with only two seniors in 5-9 Carmen Pacheco, the tallest player, and 5-3 Carley Gravel, the smallest player, Sandoval’s Lady Horsemen, finished a whooping 27-1 overall with the lone loss 3-2 versus Robertson (22-6) at home, was top seed in 3A and No. 8 in the overall state rankings.

They took the initial set 25-17, the tighter second set had Robertson sneak in a 26-24 win, but the next two were all St. Michael’s, 25-16 and 25-21. You guessed it, the celebration at the Rio Rancho Events Center was loud and huge. The Lady Horsemen had plenty of supporters on hand.

And I welcomed the assistance of St. Michael’s head baseball coach Augustin Ruiz, who has 5-4 junior daughter Ceciliana on the team. He also has a freshman daughter, Mariella, at the school, and like Ceciliana, is also a 3-sport athlete. Then there’s a third athlete in 6th-grade daughter, Karolina, and his son, Isaac, 2022 St. Michael’s graduate who starred as the shortstop on dad’s baseball team, and has committed to New Mexico State.

So with his wife, Sonya, the head girls basketball coach at the school alongside him, coach Augie figured he’d assist me via his phone, and from the start to the finish, just kept texting me, as in St. Michael’s up 12-6, time out, St. Michael’s ahead 17-11, time out, and so on until the final point on a kill by junior libero/defensive setter Akex Crespin, and Ruiz texted 25-21 and added state championship for St. Michael’s. The Lady Horsemen concluded with 99 points to 80 for Robertson.

This was state volleyball title No. 3 for the school The first came in the year 2002 under Butler by winning over Portales at West Mesa High, and with Butler’s daughter, Jessica, a freshman, as a starter. Butler’s last coaching position was at Monte del Sol, and when she resigned, the head coaching position went to Jessica. Her mom’s overall record was 400-260.

. . . Interesting, Portales had won state 3A in 2000, 2001, 2003, but upset by St.Michael’s, 3-1, in that 2002 final. Robertson has lost four times in the finals, St. Michael’s twice.

. . . Former Santa Fe High head coach Sam Estrada has lost twice in the finals, once while at Farmington, and also at Espanola Valley. Mike Thompson, as head coach at Santa Fe High, has won two titles that included 20-0 in 1996 and also in 1994, and was the runner-up in 1995. Lenny Roybal was head coach at Santa Fe High and won state in 1978. And Nancy Mike, while Santa Fe High’s head coach, won the title in 1983.

. . . Since the year 2012-13, the Lady Horsemen have had only two players that have been on the volleyball court four straight years, that being Allie Berhost and Lanie Serna. Both played under Butler.

. . .These 2022 other state titles went in 2A to top seed, once beaten Laguna-Acuma, 3-0, over No. 3 seed Texico. In 4A, it was top seed Goddard sweeping 3rd seed Albuquerque St. Pius X, and in 5A, No. 1 seed Albuquerque La Cueva turned in a 3-1 triumph over 2nd-seeded Las Cruces in a district rematch.

. . . One thing interesting here. La Cueva is still in the state football tournament, is top seed here, too, and could become the only two-sport champion this time around. In football, it goes against 3rd-seed Centennial in the state semis Friday or Saturday.

ST. MICHAEL’S VOLLEYBALL ROSTER:

HEAD COACH — Valerie Sandoval

Assistant Coach — Gabrielle Baca-Vigil

Assistant Coach — Jolana Ulibarri

Assistant Coach — Kiran Bhatla

PLAYERS —

Carley Gravel                    senior

Ceciliana Ruiz                   junior

Mia Duran                          junior

Jane Erickson                   sophomore

Victoria Victorino              sophomore

Maya Pena                         sophomore

Alex Crespin                      junior

Marissa Sandoval-Moya   sophomore

Rebekah Bagwell               junior

Carmen Pacheco               senior

Daniele Padilla                   junior

Alana Overton                    junior