Championship Preview: Volleyball

Editor’s Note: In this series, the Observer will take a look at each of the upcoming NMAA State Championship Tournaments and give readers all of the information they will need to tune in and be informed in advance. From basic information like where to stream the games or buy tickets, to the fun stuff like who to watch for and how the Rio squads might fair, we have you covered.

2024 Rudy’s “Real Texas” Bar-B-Q State Volleyball ChampionshipsDates: Nov. 14-16 (Championship Nov. 16)

Time: Round 1 begins at noon on Nov. 14

Location: Rio Rancho Events Center (3001 Civic Center Circle, NE)

Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online only via GoFan (NO CASH SALES). https://gofan.co/app/school/NMAA

Cost: Day Pass $17 (allows re-entry), Adults $12, Students/Seniors/Military $7

Streaming: Championship games and select early round contests — www.nfhsnetwork.com

Website: Brackets and results will be updated at www.nmact.org.

Additional info: The NMAA’s state championship souvenir vendor Northwest Designs Ink will be on site, but merchandise is also available online at https://nwd.ink/. A concession stand will be available.

Outlook: The brackets are out, and the matchups are set for what is sure to be one of the most exciting NMAA Volleyball State Championships in recent memory. Both Rio Rancho High School and Cleveland High School are in the bracket, and both are clicking on all cylinders at the moment.

The Cleveland Storm have been a juggernaut in 5A volleyball all season. After a couple of stumbles early on, head coach Charity Gomez got the team back on track and they’ve rolled through every opponent since. They dropped one set out of the district, to St. Pius on Aug. 12, but haven’t lost one since. They were perfect in district play.

To be clear, the Storm lost two out-of-district matches, to La Cueva (3-2 on Aug. 3) and Las Cruces (3-1 on Aug. 7), both of whom are top seeds in the tournament and also have a first-round bye.

The Storm’s strength is in their size and power, which is especially on display at the net. Senior Ceci Vance has a rocket kill shot that makes her arguably the best player in the state. Fellow seniors Emma Wild and Kelsey Heffner are both unstoppable in defense and Heffner’s trickeration at the net is CHS’s secret weapon.

Juniors Azlynn Tittmann and Aaliyah Simpson have that strange ability to seemingly be everywhere at all times. Tittmann can stretch the court in defense, and Simpson covers the entire net with her speed and length. They’ll look to take leadership positions on the squad when the seniors exit, and the State Tournament is where they will look to announce their arrival.

Despite being top ranked on MaxPreps, the Cleveland Storm are the 2-seed, which might mean they’re under-seeded. However, they face the winner of the first-round match between Rio Rancho and Cibola, both of whom are familiar foes in the district.

The Rio Rancho Rams may have just lost to the Storm in the final game of the regular season, but they looked better in that loss than they have all year. They worked as a team, communicated well, and their power at the net (thanks to seniors Jacey Mader and Alyssa Dominguez) is on the level with anyone in the state.

RRHS’s secret weapon is Reece Cave. The senior libero (as is the case with many liberos, it seems) doesn’t always get the credit she deserves. Her position demands she stay at the back of the court, away from the flashy, splash plays. But Cave is the heart and soul of this Rams squad, and the team looks to her for their morale and energy. And oh yeah, she’s as good as it gets defensively.

One of the main strengths of the Rams is in their team depth. They have a second string that’s nearly as good as their first. And head coach Toby Manzanares uses his substitutions with precision, helping with both adaptability and endurance.

Seniors Cienega Richards and Briland Kienle work well in tandem and allow the Rams to rotate often without missing a beat.

The 10-seed Rams lost both matches to 7-seed Cibola this season and are the underdogs in this match. But they look like a much different team since they faced the Cougars over a month ago. The rematch should have plenty of fireworks.

The winner will need to leave enough in the tank to face the oncoming Storm.