Sports
Lady Pintos Turning Support Role Around

Young Pinto Wins Moriarty Practice Meet

Pintos Finish Opening Tournament in Fourth Place

Sports Shorts

Moriarty Kicks Off Against Pius

Manzano Starts With New Coach

Monarchs Ready for Season

Monarchs Want To Build on 6th-Place Finish at State

Freshman Gives Softball Ol' College Try

EMHS Excited About Gym

More
Sports

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, November 4, 2004

Estancia Win Streak Ends

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
    The Estancia High School volleyball team's 17-match hot streak came to an end Saturday.
    Second-ranked Sandia Prep, the 2003 state runner-up, upset the Lady Bears 3-1 on Estancia's home court to win the District 8-2A championship trophy.
    The Sundevils, who had previously lost twice to Estancia this season, won 25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 25-16.
    Still, the Bears' record is a lofty 18-3.
    "We have started to finally play as a team," said Prep senior Chelsey Weinbrecht, an Edgewood resident. "We've found some unity, and we're starting to be more confident."
    Weinbrecht said they hope to do the same thing to the Bears that Hope Christian, the 2003 Class 2A champions, did to her team last season.
    "We had beat Hope (during the regular season), then Hope beat us," said the 6-foot middle hitter.
    Estancia remains very much in contention. But the Bears' game against Texico in the first round of the Region D competition at Sandia Prep on Friday is crucial.
    "Texico will be a good game," Estancia coach Janice Barela said. "If we beat Texico, we automatically go to state."
    The regional finals will be played Saturday at 10:30 a.m., also at Prep.
    The top two regional teams advance to the state tournament in Albuquerque on Nov. 11-13.
    In the first game of the district championship match, a nip-and-tuck affair from its onset, 'Devil Audra Gentry got the easy kill for the winner off a diving dig from Estancia's Tara Cooper that veered into Gentry's range above the net.
    But, in a way, that's good news for the Bears. Cooper, noted for her soaring spikes, is back after sitting out because of a shoulder injury.
    "I'm doing a lot better," said Cooper, a 5-3 junior. "I rested for like three weeks."
    In the second game, Sandia Prep jumped out to an 8-3 lead on a Weinbrecht ace. But Estancia recovered to tie it at 13 on Kaycee Riley's set for an Ashton Coburn kill.
    Gentry, a competitive sort who wears her emotions on her sleeve, was assessed a yellow card for cursing on the court. The warning followed Gentry's errant return that boosted Estancia to a 20-18 advantage.
    Prep knotted it once again at 22. Riley's attempted spike went wide right.
    The Sundevils won the second game during the serve of Tasha Serna-Gallegos. Estancia was whistled for being out of position.
    The Bears roared back in the third game.
    The game was tied six times before Cooper's serve expanded Estancia's lead to 15-8. Coburn and Destenii Trujillo both had kills during the stretch.
    Gentry's kill tied it at 17. But Coburn's serve provided the Bears some breathing room at 21-18. Cooper had two kills, and Coburn added an ace and a kill.
    Riley concluded the game with a tap to an open middle.
    Angela Cassimas' three-point serve got the match victory in the deciding fourth game.
    Barring an upset, it won't be surprising to see two more contests between Sandia Prep and Estancia before it's all over.
    MORIARTY
    The Lady Pintos (14-5, 6-2 in District 4-4A) will host the district-tournament title match Saturday.
    In their final two regular-season matches, Moriarty beat Albuquerque Academy 3-1 on the Chargers' court on Oct. 28. However, the Pintos succumbed 3-1 to a pumped Roswell High squad in Moriarty on Saturday.
    "(Saturday's) game didn't mean anything," said Pintos coach Kim Bell. "No matter what, we were seeded first in the district tournament."
    Roswell won Saturday's match 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21.
    The Pintos had knocked off the Coyotes (15-4, 5-3) 3-0 in Roswell on Oct. 16. RHS' district record tied Goddard's.
    "Against Roswell, we were missing a player, and it showed," Bell said.
    Bell said junior Tori Lopez was participating in the FFA nationals competition.
    Academy (6-11, 1-6), a better team than their record reflects, previously defeated Moriarty 3-1 on Oct. 14.
    The Pintos beat the Chargers this time 25-12, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22. The victory iced Moriarty's automatic berth in the district-tourney finals.
    "We wanted this one," said Moriarty junior Leah Lovato after the Academy match. "Everyone stepped up."
    Versus the pesky Chargers, the Pintos took the first game on Nicole Cox's 2-point serve. On the final play, the Chargers' kill attempt sailed wide after a long rally.
    "I think we've improved a lot," said Cox, a sophomore. "We've jelled. And now we have a good rotation that works."
    After being edged in the second game, Moriarty came back in the third.
    Cox, a 5-10 outside hitter, slammed a merciless, match-ending kill to end it in the fourth game. Afterward, three Chargers lay sprawled on the hardwood.
    Pintos junior Lindsey Jaramillo played well.
    "The timing of my hits, my approaches have improved," said the 5-8 outside hitter.
    MANZANO
    The Lady Monarchs dominated Del Norte 3-0 in the first round of the District 2-5A tournament at Manzano's gym Monday.
    The victory came after a 3-0 district loss to Albuquerque High at AHS on Friday.
    As of Tuesday, the Monarchs were 9-11. Their district record was 5-5.
    Manzano again faced the Bulldogs late Wednesday in the district tourney's second round. The winner plays La Cueva on Friday.
    "I'm so excited," said Adriana Saiz, a 5-73/4 sophomore setter from Carnuel.
    On Monday, the Monarchs took the first game on a kill through a double block by senior Heather Carter, a part-time resident of Moriarty.
    Claire Thomsen, a Tijeras resident, ended the second on a spike to the deep right corner off a backward set by Saiz.
    To conclude the match, Andrea Mascareñas got the kill off another good set by Saiz.
    A skywalking Natalie Arvizu was crucial to the win.
    "We started the season playing with heart," said Arvizu, a 5-9 sophomore from Yrisarri. "We wanted that back."
   
   
    Volleyball
    Next Up:
   

Estancia vs. Texico, Class 2A regional first round, at Sandia Prep, Friday, 4 p.m.
   

Manzano-Albq. High winner at La Cueva, Dist. 2-5A tourney semifinals, Friday, 7 p.m.
   

Moriarty hosts Dist. 4-4A tourney finals, Saturday, 6 p.m.