Volleyball Recap: Sandia Takes a Loss

If Sandia was feeling good fresh off their 3-0 takedown of Capital last Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Matadors lost 3-0 to the Manzano Monarchs on Tuesday. The Matadors were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Monarchs apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in October of 2024.

While Sandia was not able to make it on the board, they still kept things close, especially in the third set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-16, 25-14, 25-22.

Despite the defeat, Sandia saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Payton Ostrander had 13 assists and five digs. Player #15 also deserves some recognition as she had her first digs of the season.

Among those leading the charge was Ava Renner, who had 14 digs.

Sandia has been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season. As for Manzano, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season.

Sandia didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 3-1 victory against Eldorado on the 16th. As for Manzano, they have also already played their next match, a 3-0 win against Capital on the 18th.