The north side of the net proved to be lucky for the South in the Class AAA-AAAAA North-South All-Star volleyball game July 29 at Johnson Gym, in Albuquerque. The South prevailed 25-15, 22-25, 25-17, 22-25 and 15-11 in the annual classic on the University of New Mexico campus.
With the match tied 2-2 after four games, a coin was tossed before the fifth and final game. Throughout the match, the team that had been playing on the north side of the net had emerged victorious. South captain Desirae Ceniceros, of Las Cruces High School, won the toss and given her choice, chose to play on the north side of the net.
It proved to be a wise decision.
The score was tied 3-3 in the fifth game, which is played to just 15 points. The South had a key four-point run to take a 7-3 lead and the North never caught up.
The South took a 14-8 lead and with their backs against the wall, the North fought off three match points. With the score 14-11, South setter Ceniceros sent the ball to Las Cruces teammate Jasmine Hawkins on the outside and the two teammates clicked for the winning point. Hawkins nailed a kill that finished off the North 15-11, giving the South a 3-2 victory.
Pojoaque High School’s Jaymie Roybal, who is headed to the University this fall to pursue studies in pre-law, was the only representative from Class AAA on the North squad.
“It was an absolute honor to even be considered for the team, much less selected,” Roybal said. “I had a great time.”
Roybal played setter for Pojoaque for three years. In 2006, Pojoaque finished the season 22-2 and won the Class AAA state championship. Playing for the North last week, Roybal set the ball to three hitters 6 feet tall or taller. It was a luxury she didn’t have at Pojoaque.
“It was definitely a new experience,” Roybal said. “It’s a lot quicker game, and it was great to set for such big girls.”
The South dominated the first game and was leading 15-12 in the second when the North rallied behind the hitting of Los Lunas’ 6-foot, one-inch middle hitter Kameo Peña. Off sets from Roybal, Peña notched three kills and the North fought back to tie the score at 20-20.
The teams traded points and the score was deadlocked at 22-22 when Rio Rancho’s Sarah Koch sandwiched a pair of kills around a double hit call on the South to give the North a 25-22 victory that tied the match 1-1.
The South dominated the third game from the north side of the net and never trailed after taking an 11-10 lead.
In the fourth game, the North and South battled tooth and nail, with neither team taking a lead larger than two points until a block by Peña gave the North a 23-20 lead.
A kill by La Cueva’s Cara Turney gave the North game point at 24-21 and a service error by the South at 24-22 gave the North a 25-22 victory that evened the match at 2-2 and set up the fifth game showdown.
It was Roybal’s final game as a high school player and the 5-foot, 3-inch setter said she doesn’t plan on playing in college.
“It was great, but it didn’t end the way I wanted,” she said. “I’m going to miss it.”