Sports across the region swung into action last week, but local teams struggled in their initial outings.
Volleyball
Aug. 20
Cuba 3, Dulce 0
The host Hawks were swept 25-17, 27-25, 25-14 in the season opener for both schools.
Aug. 21
Gallup 3, Pojoaque 0
The visiting Elkettes opened their season with a 25-20, 25-13, 25-21 loss to the Bengals.
Eunice 3, Escalante 2
The Lady Lobos played a tough season opener in a tournament at Eunice but came up just short in losing 15-25, 25-16, 25-21, 15-25, 15-8.
Aug. 22
Hagerman 3, Escalante 1
The Lady Lobos (0-2) dropped their second match of a season-opening tournament, losing 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17 to the Lady Bobcats.
Aug. 23
Jal 3, Escalante 1
The Lady Lobos (0-3) almost had a victory in their season-opening tournament but dropped the final two sets in losing to the Lady Panthers 22-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9.
Escalante 3, Mescalero 0
The Lady Lobos (1-3) won the seventh-place game, beating the Lady Chiefs 25-7, 25-13, 26-26.
Cross Country
Aug. 23
Española Valley
Led by a strong effort from Neveah Cachora, the Sundevils finished with 13 points and were 13th among 18 teams in the season-opening Macen Holderman Memorial Cleveland Invitational in Rio Rancho.
Racing against a variety of classifications, Cachora was 13th overall in a time of 19 minutes, 59.7 seconds. Christina Branch was not far behind, taking 37th in a time of 21:19.9. Elijah Martinez was the top boys finisher at 36th in a time of 17:16.
Mesa Vista
The boys turned in a strong performance in the Holderman meet as the Class 2A Trojans finished with 331 points for 12th in a field of 18 teams, many of them 4A 5A schools.
“It was a good opening race for us,” coach Ben Sandoval said.
Ezequiel Nevarez paced Mesa Vista, finishing 43rd overall in a time of 17 minutes, 25.4 seconds, followed by Jonathan Martinez 17:58.3, who was 60th.
Mirella de la Cruz led the girls effort, finishing 77th in a time of 23:33.5.
Boys Soccer
Aug. 21
Capital 10, Pojoaque Valley 0
It was a tough opening game for the Elks, who lost in a mercy rule finish in the second half after trailing 5-0 at halftime.
Girls Soccer
Aug. 20
Hope Christian 12, Pojoaque Valley 0
The Elkettes opened the season against the three-time defending class 4A state champions Lady Huskies and it did not go well as Hope ended the game at halftime in a mercy rule decision.
Aug. 22
Bloomfield 10, Pojoaque Valley 0
In the opening game of the Taos Invitational, the Elkettes (0-2) allowed seven first-half, goals and then three in the second half in a mercy-rule finish.
Aug. 23
Pojoaque Valley 3, Monte del Sol 0
The Elkettes (1-2) celebrated their first win in almost two years as eighth-grader Mya Hinojos scored two first-half goals and sophomore Jacqueline Veleta added a score in the second half to back up goalkeeper Nyanna Reyes’ shutout and spark the program’s first win since beating the Dragons 5-0 in September 2023.