The Pojoaque Valley Elkettes will have a new look this year, with new players stepping in to replace longtime starters who finished a great season.
The Elkettes made it to the state semifinals a year ago, including sweeping No. 3 seed Artesia in the state tournament. But they will have to rebuild this year to repeat their 21-win, 5-loss success.
“It was a good experience,” said Pojoaque Coach Joe Rodriguez. “They showed that they can compete with some of the higher schools. They’re confident.”
Five seniors graduate from the 2022 team, including Sonya Quintana, Anica Urioste and Adrianna Rodriguez, all of whom made the first-team all-state and were consistent players for at least three years.
“Over the summer, we’ve had to put in a lot of work,” said senior defensive specialist Denaya Sandia. “It’s big shoes to fill. But, so far we’ve been doing really good.”
Only two returning players played in more than two-thirds (two others, Giselle Munoz and Tessa Martinez, rotated to split time at middle blocker).
“We lost a lot of big hitters last year,” Joe Rodriguez said. “But we return a very good core.”
One of those, Joslyn Nuñez, was the team’s starting setter. Now as a junior, she has a year of experience and is becoming a team leader.
“This summer, we’ve seen a lot of growth from her,” Sandia said of Nuñez. “We’re all very proud of her. She’s come a long way.”
The Elkettes also bring back sophomore Larissa Rodriguez for what will be her third year starting on varsity.
Senior Tessa Martinez is among those slated for a starting role this year, as a tall hitter who towers over much of the rest of the team. Many of the expected starters come from a group of players who were on the varsity roster last year but scarcely saw playing time, including Sandia and Stephanie Romero. But without those big hitters from last year, the front row has less of a margin for error in their attacks.
“We’re all stepping up to the challenge,” Martinez said. “We’ve been doing really good, going to tournaments. We’ve all been working hard all throughout the summer.”
Players mentioned Danica Dauz, the team’s new libero, as an exciting addition to the varsity team. Alyssa Molina is also expected to have an impact on the back row.
And the biggest strength for Pojoaque this year might be the team chemistry. Players mentioned that everyone on the team gets along especially well this year, which translates to on the court.
“There’s not a day that goes by in practice that we can’t laugh,” Larissa Rodriguez said. “We all make it fun. It boosts our confidence.”
The September schedule will be busy for Pojoaque, with four tournaments on tap, including the Tournament of Champions in Santa Fe.
Within the district, Los Alamos has been a mainstay at the top as of late (both they and Pojoaque went 7-1 last year in district), but Joe Rodriguez expects increased competition from the other district teams: Taos, Moriarty and Española Valley.
It will be up to the newer players to help the Elkettes make another big run in the state tournament.
“With that experience, we know the competition level,” Sandia said. “We’ve seen volleyball, all different skills. It was a good experience.”
Pojoaque’s season begins with a home match against Robertson on Aug. 31.