PREP ROUNDUP
Volleyball
What happened: After taking their lumps in their first two matches against Taos and Española Valley, the Lady Braves were on point against the Lady Lobos in Tierra Amarilla. They won Game 1 25-10 before grinding out 25-19, 25-20 wins in Games 2 and 3. The key was strong serving, and SFIS had 23 aces to set the tone. Lady Braves head coach Brian Gurule said the strong serving fed the rest of his team’s performance.
Top players: Cameron Conners led the way with 17 blocks and 11 kills, while Madison Valdez had 15 digs to highlight the defensive effort by the Lady Braves.
What’s next: SFIS (1-2) heads to Estancia on Sept. 7 for a nondistrict match against the Lady Bears. Escalante heads to Cuba on Sept. 7.
What happened: The Lady Cardinals kept the Elkettes on their heels almost from the start of a 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 sweep in Michael Marr Gymnasium. Pojoaque didn’t help things with poor serving, as head coach Joe Rodriguez said his team had more service errors in Game 1 than it did during a sweep of reigning Class 3A champion Albuquerque Sandia Prep last week. Top players: Adrianna Rodriguez had 21 digs, 10 kills and a pair of aces to lead Pojoaque. Anica Urioste chipped in with 15 digs and eight kills, while Sonya Quintana had 12 kills. What’s next: The Elkettes (1-1) head to Moriarty for the Moriarty Invitational on Saturday. Robertson (2-0) entertains Albuquerque Bosque School on Sept. 8.
What happened: Blue Griffins head coach Kiran Bhakta had the second-best seat to watch the Blue Griffins hold off the stubborn Lady Timberwolves in a nondistrict battle in Prep Gymnasium — his home. Bhakta was in COVID-19 quarantine after being a close contact, so he ceded coaching duties to assistant coach Raelyn Gonzales. Prep sandwiched 26-24 wins in between 25-14 and 25-22 losses to East Mountain before winning Game 5 by a 15-9 count.
Top players: Sophomore Nicole Gonzales carried the hitting attack with 27 kills and had nine aces at the service line, to boot. Senior Emma Anderson had 20 assists and served four aces, and Simone Moquino had a pair of aces. What’s next: Prep (3-1) gets a day to celebrate before taking on Monte del Sol at home Thursday.
Girls soccer
What happened: A week after getting mercy-ruled by St. Michael’s, the Lady Dragons turned the tables on the Lady Braves at the Municipal Recreation Complex. Lorena Zapata opened the scoring with her first goal of the season, and Araceli Peña closed the scoring with her first goal of the season.
Top players: Freshman Kathy Armendariz led the Lady Dragons with five goals, while junior Selene Franco added four.
What’s next: Monte del Sol (1-1) gets a 12-day break before playing East Mountain on Sept. 11 at home.