Pecos’ hot start to match fizzles.

RIO RANCHO — The dream couldn’t be happening again, could it? Over seven days, Faith Flores and a group of seven Pecos Lady Panthers cried, hugged and toppled over one another in the thrill of state championship ecstasy. It couldn’t possibly repeat itself, could it?

Oh, but it was happening again. For one game and 43 points of the second in a Class 2A semifinal Friday night, Pecos could see another blue trophy materialize. The ninth-seeded Lady Panthers stunned Texico and its faithful by taking Game 1 25-20. Then they had them almost frozen in their seats when they took a 23-20 lead on Arianna Anaya’s kill to the right corner in Game 2.

And who better than Flores — the one who helped secure Pecos’ first girls state cross-country title last week with her 18th place finish — to be at the service line?

“We worked as a team, we all communicated and we played with heart,” Flores said.

This Hollywood script did not end the way others do. The No. 2 Lady Wolverines awoke from their slumber and scored the last five points to win Game 2, then they proceeded to break the hearts of Pecos fans by waltzing away with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-17 win to advance to their fifth straight title match.

Instead, this ending left streaks of tears on many of the Lady Panthers’ faces. Flores understood a missed opportunity when she saw it.

“I’m not saying the girls don’t know what it takes [to win a state title],” Flores said. “But me and [outside hitter Kianna Quintana], we have enough experience to know how hard you have to work to get there. We won state and we practiced hard and we took it serious. I don’t think some of our girls understand how hard you need to practice.”

However, Pecos (19-7) quickly learned some lessons in a 36-hour period. After taking second place in Pool D, the Lady Panthers swept No. 6 Hagerman and No. 3 Magdalena to make a semifinal run. A lot fell on the shoulders of Flores, who paced Pecos with 22 kills in a 25-16, 25-18, 25-16 win over the Lady Steers in Friday morning’s quarterfinal action.

Against their District 7-2A foe Lady Wolverines, Flores helped slow down 6-foot middle hitter Kaitlyn Roderick at the net.

“I think I shut her down in the first game because she wasn’t hitting as much,” Flores said. “She started to tip and hit into the net. The second game, she was a little bit down, but she got one kill and she started picking it up.”

Roderick finished with 18 kills and a pair of blocks, but her presence opened up the court for her teammates. Pecos struggled with its passing and often had to pass the ball over to the Lady Wolverines (18-5) and try to slow down Texico’s hitting attack. It didn’t help that some of the Lady Panthers played with their heads hung down after Game 2.

“We have a habit on the court of just mentally shutting down,” Pecos head coach Monique Herrera said. “That was my fear, and we fell into that. I thought we would bounce back from [the loss].”

It’s not the end of the line for Pecos. Many of the players will stay on the hardwood, but switch to playing basketball. They know that Texico will be a stumbling block for them to overcome in January and February.

“Going into these upcoming sports, these Pecos girls have that drive,” Herrera said. “They don’t give up. They know how to fight.”

Unfortunately, they must take the fight to another sport and on another day.