Lady Rams win in four sets

• Portales avenges earlier setback, improves to 7-2.

Portales High's volleyball team turned the tables on one of the squads it lost to this season. The Lady Rams get the chance to avenge the other setback next week, if not sooner.

PHS improved to 7-2 on Monday with a 25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 25-20 victory over Roswell High at the Ram Athletic Center.

On Tuesday, the Lady Rams visit Clovis, which handed Portales a five-set defeat earlier this month at the RAC. They might also play in this weekend's Peyton Chavez Invitational at Portales.

Junior setter Myleigh Banda and sophomore middle hitter Skyler Massey posted double-doubles. PHS took control during a dominating Game 3 performance and never trailed in the fourth set to close it out.

"This was our game," said Banda, who compiled 19 digs and 39 assists. "We came in knowing it was going to be tough, but I think we're the better team.

"I feel it was probably my best (match) of the season. I just feel like if our energy is up, we're going to be all right."

Massey added 11 kills and 12 digs. Senor Audrey Paden led everyone in kills with 13.

The earlier match set up similarly, with Roswell High dropping the second set before pulling out a 28-26 win in the third and closing it out in four.

"There were a lot of big swings," first-year Lady Rams coach Bailey Greenwalt said. "We wanted to put pressure on them defensively and take away some of their hitters."

The third set seemed to take a little steam out of the Lady Coyotes (7-4).

"They're a very scrappy team," Greenwalt said. "But I feel like our girls responded to every ball that came over the net."

Neither team led by more than a point in Game 1 until the Lady Rams opened a 12-8 lead with an ace from senor Abby Ontiveros and a pair of kills from junior outside hitter Addison Ainsworth, who finished the contest with nine kills and a couple of blocks.

"Addie had a great game, and Tya Ripper had a great game," Greenwalt said. "They stepped up huge."

Portales led for much of Game 2 before the Lady Coyotes closed on 10-1 surge that included two kills apiece from senior outside hitter Sarai Morales and 5-foot-3 junior setter Alayna Tarin.

In Game 3, though, the Lady Rams went on a 7-0 run to take control.

Rippee was one of four players in double figures in digs for Portales with 15. Junior Angel Ornelas also had 12, and added a team-leading three aces.

For the Lady Coyotes, sophomore middle blocker Nevaeh Romero collected 10 kills, and Morales totaled six kills and two of the team's three blocks.

Pool play in this weekend's eight-team tournament is slated for Friday, with the Lady Rams, Moriarty, Eunice and Pojoaque making up Pool A and Clovis, Melrose, Texico and Taos in Pool B. Teams will move on to bracket play on Saturday and play two matches apiece