Nadia Gallegos delivers one of her spike kills in the first set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com
Michelle Macias and Angelina Passalacqua block a spike attempt by Ashlyn Espinosa in the second set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com
By MIKE COTE
Los Alamos Daily Post
It was once again a short run in the postseason for the Los Alamos Hilltopper volleyball team.
The Hilltoppers were bounced from the Class 4A tournament Friday, unable to make it out of the first round for the fourth straight season, including last year’s COVID-shortened season.
And for the second straight year, the Santa Teresa Desert Warriors knocked Los Alamos out of the main playoff bracket.
The playoffs took place this weekend at the Rio Rancho Events Center, formerly the Santa Ana Star Center.
On Friday, Los Alamos, the No. 3 seed in the 4A bracket, struggled to find answer to the Desert Warriors’ powerful outside hitting game. Additionally, the sixth-seeded Warriors brought a formidable defense to that first round that the Hilltoppers were seldom able to crack.
Santa Teresa won Friday morning’s contest 24-26, 25-13, 25-22, 25-23. That match you heard on the Los Alamos Daily Post’s YouTube channel.
That loss put the Hilltoppers into loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament. On Friday afternoon, the Hilltoppers simply couldn’t hang with the No. 2 seed Goddard Rockets, who dominated that elimination contest 25-23, 25-21, 25-15.
Despite the first and second set scores being close against Goddard, Los Alamos trailed big in both and its push to get back into those sets came too late.
It was a disappointing finish for the Hilltoppers, who had a dominant showing in District 2 this season, one of the toughest overall districts in the state, including sweeping the Pojoaque Valley Elkettes, who earned an at-large bid to the playoffs and the No. 5 seed.
In the opening match, the Desert Warriors, who were 18-6 heading in, feasted on the outside, particularly 5-foot-11 front row player Ashley Lugo. Lugo had a match-high 13 spike kills, but she also had plenty of help from her supporting cast, notably Natalia Rivas and Kaylee Corral.
Many of the Desert Warriors’ key players are juniors or underclassmen, so it’s likely they will be a contender in 2022, as well.
For Los Alamos, Ashley Hammond started off with the hot hand offensively, earning five spike kills in the first set, while Michelle Macias and Abi Lechel got hot in the third set with the Hilltoppers trying to fend off a 2-1 deficit, but it wouldn’t be enough down the stretch.
Goddard, meanwhile, never let Los Alamos get on track in the elimination round contest. Los Alamos committed numerous unforced errors, as well, and never recovered.
The two early round losses close out the Hilltoppers’ 2021 season with a record of 17-8. They will say goodbye to seven seniors, including Lechel, Bella Aguilar, Bri Nieto, Katrina Sanchez, Kylie Johnson, Nadia Gallegos and Sylvia Holesinger.
Solenne Thelliez spikes the ball over Desert Warrior defenders Rilen Garcia and Natalia Rivera in the first set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com
Anna Kirkland and Bella Aguilar dig hard the save the ball in the second set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com
Nadia Gallegos spikes the ball past defenders Alissa Benavides and Destanie O’Neal in the second set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com
Bella Aguilar digs the ball in the 4th set. Photo by John McHale/ladaolypost.com