Lady Rattlers win district

Tucumcari's volleyball team won its second district title in three years Thursday night, and they did it at home this time.

The Lady Rattlers conquered defending district champ Ruidoso 18-25, 25-15, 25-19, 26-24 in front of an estimated 600 people, the largest volleyball crowd in many years at Rattler Gymnasium.

With the fourth set tied 24-24 and the Warriors trying to force a fifth and deciding set, Tucumcari's July Lafferty executed a kill to give her team a slim lead.

Next, senior Haisley Huffman made a two-handed flick of the ball deep into the corner. Ruidoso wasn't ready for it, and her kill touched off a celebration of Tucumcari players and fans.

Tucumcari, ranked fifth in Class 3A by MaxPreps.com, improved to 18-5 overall and nabbed an undisputed District 4 title with a 5-1 mark.

Ruidoso fell to 4-2 in the district and 8-10 overall.

Two years ago, Tucumcari won its first district title in more than 40 years with a road win at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. The Lady Rattlers didn't get back home until almost midnight, though they were greeted by the sirens of first-responder vehicles and an escort.

Thursday's win delivered Tucumcari volleyball's third district title since 1979.

"To have two in three years, that's a big deal," THS coach Dana Benavidez said. "They all said in the locker room they weren't playing for themselves. They were playing for each other and for their fans and their school. They wanted to win for everyone."

Cambree Benavidez led the Lady Rattlers with 13 kills and nine aces, and Huffman added six kills.

Tucumcari commanded a 35-28 advantage in kills and 17-9 in aces. Ruidoso's Madison Lutterman made a match-high 14 kills, but Tucumcari spread its attack. Seven Lady Rattlers notched kills during the match; the Warriors had four.

Ruidoso coach Marvin Sterrett said his team struggled with its serve-receive game much of the season, and Tucumcari took advantage.

"When we keep our heads, we're really good," he said. "When we can make our serve-receive passes ... sometimes we have it, sometimes we don't. We're hot and cold. Our hitters can outhit them any day, but it matters whether we can get sets or not."

Tucumcari's win became especially sweet after a three-set loss two days before at NMMI, which put the first-place Lady Rattlers in more danger of letting a district title slip from their fingers.

"They wanted to win after our loss on Tuesday," coach Benavidez said. "Sometimes it's OK to have a loss because it rebuilds what you think you can do. We know what it feels like to lose, and we know what it feels like to win. We want the last thing.

"We kind of changed our coverage a little bit because they were blocking really well. We discussed whose ball was whose when it was blocked."

The Lady Rattlers appeared off-balance while losing the first set against Ruidoso.

"Our hitters struggled in the first set to put the ball down," coach Benavidez said. "At the end of the set, I called them in. We never dwell on a loss. We try to look past it. I told them our hitters know how to hit. I told them we believe in them and go after it, and they did."

Tucumcari seized double-digit leads while winning the second and third sets.

Cambree Benavidez totaled five kills and three aces during the second set, and Alexis Ramirez added two aces. Benavidez added five aces - including four in a row - in the third set.

Tucumcari surged to leads of 21-14 and 23-17 in the fourth set.

But the Warriors rallied for six unanswered points to tie it. Coach Benavidez admitted that nerves got to her Lady Rattlers when they had a sizable lead while on the cusp of a district championship.

"They were shaky," she said. "They wanted it so bad. We have such a senior-dominant team; they know it's their dance, they know it's their time. They were so nervous to finish the game.

"That's volleyball. Sometimes when you lose your momentum, it's hard to get it back."

Tucumcari got it back when Lafferty made a kill for a lead, setting up the match-winner from Huffman.

"She knows how to hit that corner in multiple different ways," coach Benavidez said of Huffman's final shot. "We have great leadership from all of our seniors."

In a ceremony before the match, the Lady Rattlers saluted their six senior players - Huffman, Ramirez, Amaya Roybal, Kylie'Ann Rincones, Kirksey Smith and Harley McKinney - along with senior managers Aleeja Salvador, Sariah Mardo and Alayna Sena.

NMMI 3, Tucumcari 0

The Lady Rattlers suffered a 25-11, 25-23, 25-16 district loss last Tuesday at NMMI in Roswell, dashing Tucumcari's hopes for an undefeated district schedule and snapping its win streak at 11.

The Lady Colts ended a six-game losing streak.

Tucumcari struggled with its serve-receive game throughout the match and rarely had a lead in any set. The Lady Rattlers fell behind by double digits during the first and third sets.

NMMI's front line, meanwhile, battered the Lady Rattlers with blocks and kills for its first district victory of the season.

"We struggled to pass at NMMI," coach Benavidez said. "They didn't hit very hard, but they hit straight down. We couldn't get to the balls; we were too deep.

"Once they got momentum on us, we couldn't recover."

NMMI improved to 9-12 overall and 1-4 in district play.