Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari High School senior Caylee Benavidez gestures to family and friends after signing a letter commitment Friday to play volleyball next year at Lamar Community College in Colorado.
One of the most decorated players in Tucumcari High School volleyball history committed to playing next season at Lamar Community College in Colorado.
Caylee Benavidez, a 5-foot-5 senior setter for the Lady Rattlers, signed a letter of commitment to play for the Runnin' Lopes during a ceremony Friday attended by about 40 fellow players, friends and family members - many wearing blue Lamar T-shirts.
Benavidez later Friday signed the actual commitment letter electronically.
Benavidez, a four-year starter, has amassed more than 2,100 assists (and counting) during her career. She was named first-team all state as a setter in 2022 and was second-team two other years.
During her tenure, the Lady Rattlers won three district championships and finished second another year. Tucumcari qualified for the state tournament for three years Benavidez was a setter and appears certain to qualify again in her final season.
She also received interest from Vernon College in Texas and Principia College in Illinois.
Benavidez will receive at least $6,000 in scholarship aid from Lamar. The volleyball Lopes, 7-20 this season through Friday, are coached by Dave Tecklenburg.
She said she liked what she saw from Lamar's program and players during a campus visit.
"They were very good kids and reminded me a lot of myself," she said. "It was a nice little community campus. Everybody knew everybody. It was a lot like Tucumcari, actually."
Benavidez originally was an outside hitter for the Lady Rattlers as an eighth-grader. But after a 1-10 campaign during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, her mother and coach, Dana Benavidez, told her she would be moved to setter.
"Her feet were quick, and she had good movement," her coach said. "And so the summer of her eighth-grade year, we just practiced and practiced setting. I was super-tough on her. If she'd mess up a set in practice, she'd run.
"She wanted to be the best she could. She went to camps. You would see her out in our driveway just hitting the ball at this makeshift board. She worked super-hard to just be a phenomenal setter."
Benavidez admitted to wanting to be an attacker on the front row, but grew to like her position.
"I always wanted to be a hitter growing up because that's every little girl's dream," she said. "But then I was like, 'Oh, I'm actually pretty good at this.' So just worked on it a lot and then became a pretty good one."
For the last three seasons, Benavidez has set up hundreds of spikes for her younger sister, Cambree, now a sophomore.
"Cambree's one of the best hitters I've ever set for," she said. "She's gotten so consistent this year. I'm like, 'Put it down, Cam.' But when I have a bad set, she lets me know, too. But it's great playing with my sister."
