Colts make history with first-ever district win

The Colts won their first-ever district game over Tucumcari in straight sets. (Photo illustration by NMMI Sports Press)
The Colts won their first-ever district game over Tucumcari in straight sets. (Photo illustration by NMMI Sports Press)
Posted: Mar 11, 2021

Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press

It was a make or break week for the New Mexico Military Institute Colt volleyball team after playing a busy slate of four games in four straight days.

The Colts ended the week with a straight-set sweep of District 4-3A foe Tucumcari, 25-23, 26-24, 27-25, which was their first district win in program history.

This is the first season in which the Colts have participated in a district having previously played as an independent.

With no time to practice and work on the little things, NMMI finished the week 2-2.

“We tried to mentally prepare for this week and we knew this week was going to be crazy, especially with ending with our first district game,” said NMMI head coach Stephanie Schooley. “I’m happy for the girls just to give them this confidence to have their first-ever district win.”

NMMI (3-3, 1-0) endured a pair of ties early in the first set before Olive Amechi created four straight points off her serve – a 4-0 run to increase the Institute lead, 9-5.

Tucumcari later tied the set twice more before the Colts broke an 11-11 tie with another 4-0 run that included an ace by JayCee Payne.

The Rattlers (1-4, 0-2) didn’t want to go down without a fight as they tied the set three more times towards the end, but NMMI triumphed and held on for a two-point win.

To begin the second set, Tucumcari jumped out to a 12-6 lead until NMMI battled back to tie the game at 17-17.

Amechi gave the Colts a two-point lead after tallying a kill but Tucumcari answered back by tying the set at 24-24.

NMMI once again closed out the set with a 2-0 run to win 26-24.

The final set was heart pounding in every fashion.

Tucumcari held a six-point lead that was later erased as NMMI came back to tie the game 23-23 behind another clutch kill by Amechi.

With each team on the edge of their seat as players struggled to get serves across the net, the score went back and forth until NMMI closed out the game.

Two weeks remain in the regular season as the Colts host Mescalero at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

“Every girl on the team stepped up and did their part tonight (and) played together as a team to get this first district win,” Schooley added.

>> JV WINS IN THREE: NMMI defeated Tucumcari with a deciding third set, 17-25, 25-18, 15-6.

  • Thu, 05/14 | Colt Varsity Baseball Colt Varsity Baseball vs. East Mountain HS 7 - 10 (3:30 pm MST)
  • Sat, 05/09 | Colt Varsity Baseball Tochatchi HS vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 3 - 6 (11:00 am MST) RC | PH | V
  • Fri, 05/08 | Baseball vs. Weatherford College L, 10-4 (Final) BX | PH | V
  • Fri, 05/08 | Colt Varsity Baseball Tochatchi HS vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 1 - 8 (6:00 pm MST) RC | PH
  • Thu, 05/07 | Baseball at Weatherford College L, 5-1 (Final) BX | V
  • Sun, 05/03 | Baseball vs. New Mexico Junior College L, 22-7 (Final - 7 innings) RC | BX | PH | V
  • Sun, 05/03 | Baseball vs. New Mexico Junior College L, 7-3 (Final - 7 innings) RC | BX | PH | V
  • Sat, 05/02 | Baseball vs. New Mexico Junior College W, 13-5 (Final - 7 innings) BX
  • Sat, 05/02 | Baseball vs. New Mexico Junior College W, 6-5 (Final - 7 innings) BX
  • Sat, 05/02 | Colt Varsity Baseball Ruidoso HS vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 6 - 7 (11:00 am MDT) RC | PH | V
  • Sat, 05/02 | Colt Varsity Baseball Ruidoso HS vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 5 - 6 (1:00 pm MDT) RC | PH | V
  • Mon, 04/27 | Colt Varsity Baseball Colt Varsity Baseball at Eunice HS 2 - 3 (6:00 pm MDT)
  • Sat, 04/25 | Baseball vs. Midland College W, 12-10 (Final) BX | PH | V
  • Sat, 04/25 | Baseball vs. Midland College L, 7-4 (Final - 7 innings) BX | V
  • Fri, 04/24 | Baseball vs. Midland College W, 7-6 (Final - 7 innings) RC | BX | PH | V
  • Fri, 04/24 | Baseball vs. Midland College L, 7-5 (Final - 8 innings) RC | BX | PH | V
  • Fri, 04/24 | Colt Varsity Baseball Colt Varsity Baseball at East Mountain HS 0 - 5 (4:00 pm MDT)
  • Fri, 04/24 | Colt Varsity Baseball Colt Varsity Baseball at East Mountain HS 3 - 8 (2:00 pm MDT)
  • Tue, 04/21 | Colt Varsity Baseball Colt Varsity Baseball at Dexter HS 15 - 2 (5:00 pm MDT)
  • Sat, 04/18 | Baseball at Odessa College W, 7-4 (Final - 11 innings) BX | V
  • Sat, 04/18 | Baseball at Odessa College L, 1-0 (Final - 8 innings) BX | V
  • Sat, 04/18 | Colt Varsity Baseball Sandia Prep vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 6 - 3 (12:00 pm MDT) RC | PH | V
  • Sat, 04/18 | Colt Varsity Baseball Sandia Prep vs. Colt Varsity Baseball 7 - 4 (2:00 pm MST) RC | PH | V
  • Fri, 04/17 | Baseball at Odessa College L, 12-3 (Final - 8 innings) BX | V