Steers improve to 7-4 with sweep of Mountainair

Magdalena’s volleyball coach Micheon Shellhorn was looking for better communication and serving consistency, and for the most part, her Steers delivered in a 3-0 sweep of Mountainair on Oct. 2.

“Our goals are to get better play together, serve consistently, and prepare for district, which starts on Friday,” Shellhorn said. “Our practices have been fast-paced, competitive and exciting.”

Those practices have also been without bigger hitter Kambree Montoya, who is nursing an injured arm.

But, Montoya said, “I’m going to be ready. I will be back on Friday.”

Magdalena volleyball Mountainair

The Steers (7-4) open District 1-2A play against Quemado (8-3) on Oct. 6 and play host to Alamo Navajo (8-3) on Oct. 10.

Aside from Montoya’s being on the sideline, the Steers have stayed healthy and against Mountainair, showing they are developing under their first-year coach.

“There’s a lot of room to improve. There’s a lot of room to grow, but we’re happy that we can still grow. We haven’t peaked yet. We’re at a point this season where everybody’s climbing and growing and doing exactly what we want them to do.” Shellhorn said.

Magdalena volleyball Mountainair

Winning 3-0 is what Shellhorn likes to see, and Magdalena went on top 25-20 after the first set and only got stronger with a 25-18 second-set win and a 25-15 final.

Montoya being out of the lineup had given freshman Oliviah Clark some development time, and she showed confidence with attacks at the net. Monique Baca is still the Steers’ heavy hitter, and first-year setter Hanna Guerro is learning her craft. Jorianne Mirabal had several big blocks at the net.

“Jorianne is a key player on our team. She’s had a lot to do with our success. Hannah, this is the first year she’s ever had to be a setter. She’s coming on strong. It’s hard for her sometimes because it’s new. She’s a senior and knows this is her last shot, so she’s giving it her all.

In the third set, Mountainair jumped out to a 5-0 lead, and Shellhorn called a time-out to reset her team/

“We just wanted to make sure that we were fully focused. When you play a team back-to-back, it’s kind of hard,” Shellhorn said. “You think you know what to expect, and you probably get slightly relaxed, but we’re happy to come away with a win. To start the week with a win, we can look forward to finding true success throughout the week.”