Coach Micheon Shellhorn and the Magdalena Steers volleyball celebrate their 3-0 win over Socorro.
Russell Huffman | El Defensor Chieftain

Magdalena avenged its season-opening loss to Socorro with a 3-0 sweep of the Lady Warriors on their home court on Sept 4.

The Steers dominated from the start, taking a 2-0 advantage, and battled back from a five-point deficit in the third and deciding set for a 25-23 win.

When it appeared Socorro was making a comeback, Magdalena coach Micheon Shellhorn called a timeout to calm the Steers’ nerves and talk about what she has been instilling in her first year at the helm.

“We talked about the fundamentals of our program, which is believing, committing, communicating and paying attention,” Shellhorn said. We showed that we can fight and come back — that the kids are competent in their jobs. They’re doing well, and we’re climbing instead of sliding. We’re climbing, and that’s what we want to do.”

The 3-0 win came with some swings in consistency. Still, the Steers are showing the kind of improvement Shellhorn wants.

“Consistency comes with confidence, and we’re gaining competence. We’re covering and moving well — we’re trusting each other. A big feat for this season is learning to trust our teammates and letting everybody do their job,” Shellhorn said.

Shellhorn also nodded toward the Steers’ fans who made the trip over for the Labor Day match.

“I love it. It’s competitive. It’s a rivalry. And it’s a friendly rivalry. The kids compete well against each other, and that’s what we look for in this kind of competition,” Shellhorn said.

Shellhorn complimented the efforts of players Kambre Montoya, Jorianne Mirabal, Winona Apachito and Monique Baca.

“They did well, and I’m proud of them,” she said.

While Jones didn’t bring it up, Socorro was down two starters due to their not participating in tournament play over the weekend, but it might not have made a difference. Magdalena came in prepared, and Jones wasn’t making excuses. Still, the Warriors struggled with court awareness and were out of sync.

“These girls can hold their own, and I’m proud of what Adrianna (Gutierrez) and Morgan (Perkins) did today. They stepped up when I needed them to step up. It’s hard to adjust when things we’ve got a groove on, and then something happens where we have starters missing,” Jones said.

The Lady Warriors’ interchangeable rotation of Lila Azar, Jaylin Gonzales, Kayana Acosta, Davaeh Murrietta, and Jayden Kayser tried a little too hard, leading to miscues and a lack of communication.

“I told them in the huddle you guys need to talk with your teammates and see where you stand and be situationally aware,” Jones said.

Russell Huffman | Assistant Editor