Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari senior setter Caylee Benavidez, a four-year starter, was named Player of the Year in District 6-2A.
Tucumcari's volleyball team boasted an all-time high of five players making first-team all-district honors, including the Player of the Year.
Senior setter Caylee Benavidez, one of the most decorated players in THS volleyball history, earned Player of the Year honors in District 6-2A.
Other first-team district choices for the Lady Rattlers were junior middle blocker Kyla Lopez, sophomore outside hitter Cambree Benavidez, senior outside hitter and defensive specialist July Lafferty and senior libero Nevaeh Montoya.
An honorable mention for Tucumcari was senior defensive specialist Aliyah Marez.
Benavidez, a four-year starter as setter and a first- or second-team all-state selection in at least three seasons, totaled 793 assists in 2024, an average of 8.3 per set.
Her assists total is the best in all of Class 2A and ranks fourth in all of New Mexico. Kirklyn Miller of Artesia led the state with 979 assists this season.
Benavidez also led the team in service aces (58) and hitting percentage (.284) and was second in digs (345) and blocks (73).
Benavidez also was named to Saturday's Class 1A/2A Red-Green All-Star Game. (See other story in this edition.)
Lafferty led the Lady Rattlers in digs (366) and was second in serve receptions (336), kills (209) and hitting percentage (.279).
Cambree Benavidez, Caylee's younger sister, led the Lady Rattlers in kills (333) and was third in hitting percentage (.234).
Lopez led Tucumcari in blocks (86), was second on the team in aces (49) and third in kills (172).
Montoya led THS in serve receptions (406) and was third in digs (303).
Marez was third on the team in service receptions with 228.
The Lady Rattlers finished the season with an all-time-best 21-6 record, an unprecedented undefeated record in district play and was sixth in the Class 2A tournament.
