Volleyball

What happened: The Lady Dragons grew up a little in the face of adversity after dropping the first two games to the Lady Panthers in a nondistrict match in Louis G. Sanchez Memorial Gymnasium. Smart hitting and an improved defense helped Monte del Sol rally for a 22-25, 20-25, 25-11, 27-25, 15-10 win. “Even though Game 4 was closer, we were playing more as a team and with more confidence,” Lady Dragons head coach Chela Butler said.

Top players: Senior Daisy Ortiz had a strong all-around performance with 25 assists, 19 digs and 10 kills. Krista Terrazas added 16 digs and 13 kills. Xandra Zubia served exceptionally in Game 3, and led to 30 services points with five aces to go with three kills. Alegre Vierra had 15 digs on the defensive side.

What’s next: Monte del Sol host Peñasco on Thursday in a nondistrict match at Christian Life Academy. Pecos (3-5) travels to West Las Vegas on Thursday.

What happened: The young Blue Griffins opened District 2-3A play with a tough matchup with the Lady Horsemen in Perez-Shelley Gymnasium, but Prep head coach Kiran Bhakta saw his team hang tough as St. Michael’s won 25-17, 25-17, 25-19. Bhakta said the team’s inexperience showed with certain rotations as the Blue Griffins tried to stop Lady Horsemen runs. That was especially true in Game 3, as Prep found itself down 10-0 before chipping away at the margin. “We started making a comeback, and in the end, we had a big rally,” Bhakta said. “Balls were not dropping, the girls started getting confidence back again and we were starting to hit again. It’s just that mindset needs to be played every

Top players: Sophomore Nicole Gonzales led Prep with nine kills and added a block, while senior Emma Anderson had 10 assists. Lauren McHorse chipped in with five kills. Sophia Rivera had a pair of aces, while Emery Kurth recorded two blocks.

What’s next: St. Michael’s (9-2 overall, 1-0 in 2-3A) plays Thursday night at Raton in a 2-3A match. Prep (5-6, 0-1) entertains Navajo Prep on Tuesday for a home nondistrict match.