Socorro County Volleyball teams begin district play wearing pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the volleyball teams are all showing their support for the cause with their pink jerseys for matches this month. Alamo began district play last week, Magdalena has its first district match this week, and Socorro starts district matches next week.

Alamo Cougars start out 2-0 in their district

The Alamo varsity team has already played and won two games in their district, with 3-0 wins over Vaughn and Carrizozo last week. The varisty girls’ three sets against Carrizozo finished 25-15, 25-9, and 25-17. Also, the Alamo junior high team won 2-1 against Carrizozo in a really close one: L 25-21, W 25-21, and W 16-14. The Carrizozo wins were at home during Alamo’s Indian Day Celebration, making them especially nice.

“I feel like I’m really, really happy with the girls in the fact that they’re really working on their mentality. We’re really working on a lot of communication, and not assumptions and miscommunication whenever I make decisions.” Head Coach Lyndy Torres said.

With the pressure building now that district matches have begun, and state under a month away, the team will be getting a presentation from the new therapist at the Alamo clinic.

“She’s going to give us strategies to work on stressors, pressure, things like that, things going on at home, how to deal with it, and being on the court. Because now as districts, there’s more pressure. At state, there is going to be 10 times, if not more, and we need to learn how to deal with that in a healthy way.” Torres said.

The team’s two captains shared some thoughts about their season as well.

“I feel like every day, every game, every practice…we’re getting better.” Junior Marshayla Herrera said.

Senior Tisha Mexicano added on to what her teammate had said.

“What Marshayla is saying is correct, as well as our attitude, because this is a mental sport, and we have to keep our attitude up.” Mexicano said.

The 11-4 team beat Mountainair 3-0 in Mountainair on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Their game scheduled for Oct. 16 was forfeited as Hondo had to bow out from the remainder of the season. Alamo gets a one-week break from matches before traveling to play against Corona on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. for varsity, with the junior high team playing before them at 4 p.m.

Magdalena Steers are excited for district competition

The Steers are now 10-5 on the season after a 3-0 road win over the Pine Hill Warriors on Thursday, Oct. 9, but a 3-0 loss on the road against Oak Grove Classical Academy Owls on Tuesday, Oct. 14. The Steers play against the Owls again at home on Monday, Oct. 20, with JV starting at 4 p.m. On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Magdalena JH(B), JV, and varsity teams travel to Animas to play their first district matches of the season, with games starting at 3 p.m.

“We are really excited to start districts this week. We had two great wins against Pine Hill and Alamo last week. With Nikole’s leadership and the excitement of our younger players, we are excited for the competition. We go to Oak Grove on Tuesday and are looking for a win there to send us to Animas. This month is really busy and important to us. We are back in the top 10 and looking to make a run.” Head Coach Micheon Shellhorn said.

The Magdalena Steers varsity team is currently ranked 10th by MaxPreps among NM Division A schools. This varsity team certainly has a busy schedule, with four matches in eight days and three of those on the road. The Steers play Oak Grove again at home on Monday, Oct. 20, with JV starting at 4 p.m. They will also play on the road against the Native American Community Academy/Evangel Christian Academy co-op team at 5 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Socorro Lady Warriors pick up two wins last week

The Socorro Lady Warriors picked up two wins out of their three matches last week. They won 3-1 in Mountainair on Oct. 7, lost 3-0 at Quemado on Oct. 9, and then beat Monte Del Sol Charter 3-0 at home on Oct. 11.

Those wins improve their record to 3-12 for the season. They’re a young team that has already improved upon last year’s 2-win season, and they still have seven matches to go for this season.

“More than anything else, these last few games have helped the girls build confidence in themselves and truly trust their roles on the court. They’re starting to believe in what they’re capable of, and that belief is showing in how they play together. I’m incredibly proud of their effort and growth. We’re looking forward to carrying that same energy and teamwork into district play. It’s going to be competitive, but I truly believe we can give every team a great game.” Head Coach Carmen Marquez said.

The Lady Warriors play away against Oak Grove Classical Academy on Saturday, Oct. 18, with JV starting at 2 p.m. Then they will have two home games in a row next week that are also their first district matches:

Tuesday, Oct. 21, versus Hot Springs starting at 4 p.m. with the C team.

Thursday, Oct. 23, versus Cobre starting at 4 p.m. with the C team.