Saturday, September 20, 2008

Quemado pens Lady Steers

Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, nholland@dchieftain.com

The Quemado Lady Eagles volleyball team won their latest matchup against Magdalena 3-1 on Thursday, Sept. 18.

"The girls played an outstanding first and second game," Quemado coach Nichole Sanders said of her team. "(In Game 3) our serves were off a little bit and we got out of synch."

Quemado (6-1) got the momentum and pulled ahead to win the first two games 25-18 and 25-19.

Nicole Rojas led Quemado's scoring in the first game, scoring seven points in a row. Micheon put up six in a row in Game 2.

In Game 3, Magdalena's Nicole Hardy helped put the Lady Steers ahead 10 points and earn points 11 through 18 with her consistent serves. The Lady Steers (5-3, 2-0 District 6-1A) won 25-19.

In the final game, Rojas placed several kills right at the feet of Magdalena players, according to Sanders. "She hit it so hard they couldn't get down fast enough."

Quemado won the final game 25-19.

Overall, the Eagles moved well on the court, Sanders said and were able to keep the ball in play with a lot of digs.

"They're learning to play at a more consistent level instead of going up and down," Sanders said of the Lady Eagles. "They feed off each in a positive manner instead of a negative one. Last year if we had a few bad balls they would get down. After playing together five or six years it's coming together."

Magdalena had the upper hand when the two teams met in the 2007 season.

Both teams are returning from quarterfinal finishes in the 2007 Class 1A state tournament.

Magdalena coach Barbara Gordon was unable to be reached for comment at Chieftain press time.

The Lady Steers host Pine Hill today (Saturday), at 1 p.m., in a district match and then travel to play Socorro on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Quemado is finishing up play in the Cimarron tournament today and travels to play Socorro on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m.

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