Tucumcari falls in 3A tourney

RIO RANCHO - One of the most successful seasons in Lady Rattler volleyball history ended Thursday with successive losses to Bosque and Santa Fe Indian in the first day of the Class 3A tournament.

In the nightcap match of the double-elimination tourney at the Rio Rancho Events Center, the fourth-seeded SFIS Lady Braves used their front line to pound their way past 11th-seed Tucumcari in a 25-13, 26-24, 25-23 victory.

Santa Fe Indian totaled 41 kills to Tucumcari's 21, with three Lady Braves notching 10 or more.

Caylee Benavidez and Haisley Huffman each led Tucumcari with six kills apiece.

Tucumcari finished with a 16-9 record - the most number of wins in at least 15 years and a high-water mark for coach Dana Benavidez's program.

She gathered her players in a nearby hallway after the loss.

"I told them their legacy will live on, that this is the best season we've ever had," she said. "We overcame a lot. Even in that game, we played hard the entire time. I just wish a few more balls had fallen our way."

Tucumcari senior libero Alexus Lafferty, a four-year varsity player, seemed stoic on the floor after her team's loss and her final high-school game.

But after her coach's postgame remarks, Lafferty was overcome with emotion. Assistant coach Jasmine Jones, a teammate of Lafferty's three years ago, comforted her.

Wiping away tears after regaining some composure, Lafferty said the finality of the moment "just hit me so hard."

"This is probably the most fun I've ever had in a season," she added. "All these girls, they're just so happy. It's awesome.

"I think we played as hard as we could. We left it all on the floor. I know I did."

Coach Benavidez noted Tucumcari qualified for the state tournament in three of Lafferty's four years on the team.

"Losing Alexus is going to be rough," she said. "She's been my libero for four years, and she's a phenomenal athlete. She will go on to great things in her life."

Lafferty expressed confidence in the strength of the Lady Rattlers' program.

"They'll be fine without me," she said.

Tucumcari's coach also praised two other senior players taken to the tournament - Sierra Valverde and D'Naylie Rivera.

"Sierra and D'Naylie, they have such great attitudes," she said. "They are great on the floor and off the bench ... anywhere I put them. They're always ready to go, and I'm proud of their leadership."

Tucumcari kept it close in part of the first set against Santa Fe Indian, with it tied 10-10. But the Lady Braves went on scoring runs of 7-1 and 5-0 to take control.

"(Santa Fe Indian) hit the ball so well, and they really hit it down the line. But my girls never thought they were out of it," Tucumcari's coach said.

In the second set, Caylee Benavidez notched three straight kills while SFIS struggled with its passing. The Lady Braves managed to stay one point ahead most of the set and prevailed 26-24 on a block and a kill.

The Lady Rattlers kept the third set close throughout. SFIS notched two straight kills to break a 23-23 tie and win the match.

SFIS finished 19-8 overall, falling to Bosque in the losers' bracket.

In Tucumcari's first-round match on Thursday morning, it lost to sixth-seeded Bosque 19-25, 10-25, 19-25.

Later that day, Bosque defeated third-seeded Hot Springs.

"Versus Bosque, we didn't hit as well as we could," coach Benavidez said. "But they're making a run. Maybe we played better than I felt like."

Bosque (18-10) lost in the semifinal to top-seeded and eventual state champion St. Michaels.