Logan takes 1A title

RIO RANCHO - Not many would describe a No. 2 seed beating a No. 1 seed as much of an upset.

However, a case could be made for Logan volleyball team's 25-16, 25-20, 25-20 victory over previously unbeaten Melrose in the Class 1A championship Saturday.

Logan's win certainly was a surprise for many. District rival Melrose had won all four of its previous matches against the Lady Longhorns, including a trio of three-setters in dominant fashion.

Melrose, carrying the No. 1 ranking in Class 1A for months from MaxPreps.com and the coaches' poll, also was eyeing its seventh volleyball state championship and its first undefeated season since 1983.

So it was clear Melrose had Logan's number - until Saturday.

Instead, a fired-up Logan squad (22-4) delivered a three-peat in state championships to its coach, Robert Young, at the Santa Ana Star Center, including a five-set title victory over Melrose last year.

"That's a big accomplishment, three in a row," Young said. "I never dreamed I'd even win one in my career. This is amazing. It's a blessing."

Melrose coach Casey Jackson and his staff groused about a call that sealed the match for Logan (more on that later), but he also indicated it might not have made much of a difference for his team anyway.

"Logan played their butts off," Jackson said. "Logan earned that one right there. They outplayed us. They were more dominant at the net, and we made a ton of errors we didn't make against them last time.

"We also had trouble getting our block going this time around. Logan did a good job playing in their system tonight, and we struggled to play at that speed."

Senior Jordan Hines led Logan with 14 kills and 12 blocks. Fellow senior Karli Webb added 12 kills and four blocks. Kambry Burns and Karlee Cantrell, both juniors, added five blocks each.

Brette DeVaney and Nataley Mondragon led Melrose with nine kills each.

Young acknowledged his team peaked at the right time. That became apparent when the Lady Longhorns raced to leads of 16-9 in the first set, 15-11 in the second and 23-17 in the third.

"I know we got out on them early," Young said. "I think we maybe knocked them back a little bit, got them to where they were pressing and got them a little out of their game. They were trying to force things. Once we got the lead, we were able to relax and were able to play our good power game of volleyball."

Young later said Saturday's match was Logan's best performance since a four-set win Sept. 12 at Texico, the eventual state champion in Class 2A.

Logan's blocking and passing had been an Achilles' heel against Melrose, but those problems vanished Saturday.

"When we pass the ball like we did and block like we did, that opened up our hitting ... that opened up everything," he said. "And we picked up their tip hits better, too. That kind of threw them."

The pumped-up Lady Longhorns, eager to surprise Melrose and quiet its raucous fans, rejoiced each of their big plays during the match. Meanwhile, the Lady Buffaloes appeared rattled and gassed midway through the third set.

"We brought so much more fire and intensity," Hines said. "We were hyped the whole time, we never got down on ourselves. Recently, we had a thing called short-term memory loss: If we made a mistake, blow it off your memory and worry about the next play."

The match ended on a strange note. While waiting for a serve to begin and Logan holding a 24-20 lead, a referee whistled Melrose for a violation and awarded the final point to Logan, sparking a celebration by the Lady Longhorns and confusion for almost everyone else. After referees briefly conferred with Melrose coaches, players and each other, the officials affirmed the match point.

Dusty Young, associate director of the New Mexico Activities Association, confirmed later it was a net violation against Melrose.

Jackson expressed befuddlement with the referee's call.

"She told me someone was in the net and gave me a number, 11, that we don't have," he said. "She told me she gave me the wrong number and then she just kind of picked somebody ... I don't know.

"But I'm still proud of my girls. We had a fantastic season. We have nothing to hang our heads about."

In the semifinal earlier Saturday, Logan knocked off Tatum (26-11) by a 25-20, 25-20, 25-15 score. Hines totaled 19 kills and five blocks, and Webb added 12 kills.

In the quarterfinals Friday at Rio Rancho High School, Logan vanquished third-seeded Pine Hill 25-20, 25-19, 25-19. Hines made 19 kills, and Webb added 14 kills and four blocks. Pine Hill finished the season 22-3, losing to Melrose in the semifinals after fighting its way through the losers' bracket.