Twelve teams compete in Magdalena volleyball invite tournament

All three Socorro County high school varsity teams participated in the Magdalena Volleyball Invite tournament on Sept. 5 and 6. Nine other varsity teams traveled from all over the state to join this exciting tournament.

The tournament started out at 11 a.m. on Friday with the pool play. The 12 teams were divided into three pools, and the teams got to play each of the other teams in their pool. The pool play matches consisted of two sets to 21, and each match had a 30 minute time limit. Overall wins were used to determine tournament seeding, with overall points being used as tie-breakers if needed. The seeding placed each team into one of three brackets where they played two matches to determine final winners and places.

Magdalena Athletic Director Jory Mirabal said that Magdalena has been hosting this volleyball tournament since 2010. Mirabal also mentioned the many tasks performed by all the staff and custodians that helped out: setting up a hospitality room, running the concession stand, keeping the score books, running the clocks, setting up, and so much more.

“It takes a lot of people to make it happen. We are very lucky we have a willing staff to put in all this time to do this for our kids. I’m thankful we have the people willing to help to put this on.” said Mirabal.

Magdalena Steers

The Steers were the third seed team after pool play and played in the gold bracket. They played No. 2 seed Pine Hill first and won 3-1: 25-23 W, 25-21 L, 25-19 W, 25-15 W. That set them up for a match against the first seed team. A tough Logan team dominated the tournament and beat Magdalena in three straight sets. The Steers still came away with second place in the gold bracket and second place overall in the entire tournament.

“We had a very successful tournament taking second place overall! The girls met and overcame new challenges! We had several highlights for the weekend including overall pool play finishes, younger players fitting into new roles on the court, excellent serving from all team members, and Elia Cleveland and Nikole Torres making the all-tournament team. We are so grateful for the competition this weekend and look forward to next year’s tournament already!” Coach Micheon Shellhorn said.

The 3-2 varsity team was set to be in Socorro to play versus the Lady Warriors on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Alamo Lady Cougars

The Lady Cougars were seeded seventh overall and placed in the silver bracket.

“This weekend’s tournament started off with some frustration. Once the girls got warmed up, they began playing like a team. Pool play was not pretty, and they got placed in the silver bracket. Once they got into the tournament games, they showed up. They worked together, they had fun and they began to communicate a little more.” said Coach Lyndy Torres.

They beat Carrizozo in the first round. In the second and final round for their bracket they beat Mountainair 3-0: 25-17 W, 26-24 W, 25-14 W. These wins earned them first place in the silver bracket and fifth place overall in the tournament.

“I like when they have fun, because they really play and they play well when they have fun. This week we will work on some skills and strategy and most of all, communication. I would like to shout out to our Senior, Tisha Mexicano who got All Tourney. I would also like to shout out to the girls for adjusting with changes and seeking correction.” said Torres.

The Lady Cougars are now 4-1 and take on the Mescalero Apache team on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m.

Socorro Lady Warriors

The Lady Warriors were seeded ninth overall. They then played in the Bronze bracket. Friday night, the Socorro team lost their first match to 12th seed Tse Yi Gai 3-1: 25-11 L, 25-7 L, 25-13 W, 25-16 L. Three team members missed the match due to homecoming activities going on at the same time.

The next morning the Lady Warriors pulled off a 3-1 win versus Jemez: 25-21 W, 25-15 L, 25-20 W, 25-18 W. While they had won a few of the pool play games, those don’t count towards their overall record. The Jemez match does count towards their season record though, and it earned them 11th place in the tournament.

“We came away with our first win today, and I can honestly say it was one of the most exciting games we’ve played. What made it so special wasn’t just the energy, but the composure. The girls were strategic, they communicated at a high level, and they kept their focus from start to finish. They battled with grit and played as a true team. This win shows them what determination, resilience, and trust in one another can accomplish—and that’s something we’re going to keep building on. They’re really beginning to play the game as one.” said Coach Carmen Marquez.

The varsity team is now 1-5. Their next match was set to be at home versus the Magdalena Steers on Tuesday, Sept. 9.