Robertson was not able to beat the Pojoaque volleyball team Oct. 17 on the road, but the Lady Cardinals became the Elks’ District 2AAA foe to put a chink in their armor of invincibility.
After losing the first two games 25-13, 25-20, the Robertson Cardinals won the third game 25-21 behind the power hitting of Jazmine Harge. It was the first game Pojoaque had lost in a district match in six matches.
“That was good for us,” Pojoaque coach Brian Ainsworth said. “It put the pressure on us.”
Robertson kept up the pressure in the fourth game. The Cardinals fought off a game point to tie the score at 24-24 and appeared to take a 25-24 lead after winning a point. But Ainsworth protested that the Robertson libero had illegally entered the lineup after leaving it just before the point was played.
After the officials conferred, the point was awarded to Pojoaque, as was the serve. The Elkettes led 25-24 and a kill by Kira Trujillo at game point gave Pojoaque a 26-24 win and a 3-1 match victory.
“The first decision we had to make was if she had come in out of rotation, which she hadn’t,” official Todd Handy said. “The Robertson coach (Raynee Gerhart) admitted (the libero) had come on twice. That’s a delay of game. If Robertson had a time-out left, they would have lost the time-out and we’d replay the point.”
Despite the loss, Robertson came away with something after the match.
“Now they know they can play with us,” Ainsworth said.
Trujillo led the Elkettes with 23 kills, but it was Pojoaque’s defense that shone once again. Libero Miquela Lovato, headed to the University of New Mexico next year, had 29 digs. Cara Salazar and Kiana Vigil each had nine digs and Dionna Montoya added seven.
“Those four girls are super quick,” Ainsworth said. “Miquela saves us five to 10 points a match.”
The Elks’ precision passing allowed setter Marissa Romero to dish out 53 assists. Dionna Montoya had 13 kills, Liz Gomez had 11, Lindsay Longacre seven and Tamarra Vigil three for Pojoaque.
The Elkettes had no trouble winning the first two games.
“Robertson didn’t play hard,” Ainsworth said. “We had a real good side-out offense going, and we didn’t allow them more than one or two points tops.”
Robertson fell to 4-2 in District 2AAA, both losses coming to the Elkettes. Pojoaque remains undefeated in district play at 6-0 and is 14-1 overall, its only loss coming to Monument Valley High School from Arizona.
Ainsworth knows he has not seen the last of Robertson.
Last season, the Cardinals lost four times to Pojoaque before defeating the Elkettes in the semifinals of the state tournament, ending the Elkettes season
“I have a picture of (Robertson setter) Daniella (Montoya) celebrating after that game hanging in my office,” Ainsworth said. “This team is not going to forget it.”