Lady Rattlers win two at state tourney

Not bad for what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Tucumcari’s volleyball team finished its season with two victories at the Class 2A tournament in Rio Rancho, plus a school record for wins.

The Lady Rattlers also finished its district schedule undefeated, the first time that’s happened. They won their third district title in four years.

Fourth-seeded Tucumcari (21-6) ultimately finished sixth at the 2A tourney, falling to eventual state runner-up Mesilla Valley Christian 20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 15-12 on Friday. The Lady Rattlers were one victory from advancing to Saturday’s semifinals.

On Thursday, Tucumcari lost to fifth-seeded Laguna Acoma 26-24, 25-17, 27-25.

“We just came out playing a little bit nervous,” THS coach Dana Benavidez said. “We started we started off pretty well, but then just got a little nervous and couldn’t really put balls down like we had hoped to.”

Dropped into the loser’s bracket, THS was forced to play three matches — almost back-to-back-to-back — on Friday.

“We regrouped and knew we were going to have a long day Friday to try to come back, fight and get it together,” the Lady Rattlers coach said.

Tucumcari eliminated district rival and 11th-seeded Santa Rosa 25-22, 25-16, 25-20 on Saturday morning.

The Lady Rattlers next conquered ninth-seeded McCurdy 25-18, 25-14, 22-25, 21-25, 15-12 on Saturday afternoon.

“They played so hard,” Benavidez said of her team. “On Friday, they did not let a single ball drop to the floor without somebody going for it. Every single player hustled. It was amazing to watch. This team showed more heart and more dedication and more pride than I could ever want.

“Five sets, two matches back to back. It’s very difficult. None of them tried to just give it up. They just battled to the very end.”

The Lady Rattlers finally were eliminated after another five-set marathon, a loss to Mesilla Valley.

“They were all super-sad,” Tucumcari’s coach said. “All 14 players just believed so deeply in the team and the path we were on. I just told them to be proud of what they accomplished. I mean, the highest finish ever. The most wins ever, the district championship with a 10-0 run. Just I wanted them to be proud and not be sad that it was over, but be proud of what they accomplished.”

Benavidez said she faced what she regarded as a rebuilding season after the Lady Rattlers graduated six seniors from a squad that won a then-school-record 20 matches.

“When the season started this summer, we were unsure of who was going to fill what positions,” she said. “We had no idea what rotations were going to be, and they showed up and showed out this year.”

The Lady Rattlers also were hampered by an ankle injury that sidelined senior July Lafferty for several weeks in the middle of the season.

In addition to sweeping its district, Tucumcari won 10 in a row at one point. Its fourth-seed at the state tournament also was its highest ever.

Second-seeded Texico conquered Mesilla Valley in four sets during the 2A title match Saturday. It was the Wolverines’ 18th state championship.

Mesilla Valley eliminated the No. 1 seed of the 2A tournament, Legacy Academy, in the semifinals.

The Lady Rattlers lose four starting seniors from the squad to graduation — Lafferty, Caylee Benavidez, Aliyah Marez and Nevaeh Montoya.