<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0EqdFI_1Gwp1PpG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0EqdFI_1Gwp1PpG00" width="1600" height="1108" ><figcaption>Shiprock's Yonna Etcitty (12) sets up her teammates for a point attempt during a volleyball tournament match against Bloomfield, Thu., Sept. 4, 2026 inside Scorpion Arena at Farmington High School. (W. Dean Howard/Special to The Tri-City Record)</figcaption></figure>RIO RANCHO – A total of four teams from San Juan County are packing their bags for Rio Rancho this week, each eyeing deep runs at the 2026 New Mexico Activities Association’s State Volleyball Championships.Navajo Prep and Shiprock both secured spots in the 12-team Class 3A bracket, earning morning opening-round matchups Thursday at the Rio Rancho Events Center. Meantime, Kirtland Central and Piedra Vista will represent the region in Class 4A and Class 5A tournaments respectively.A run at a state title for a local or area team has proven elusive for more than a decade. Since 2014, not a single team from San Juan County has made an appearance in a state championship volleyball match.Teams that lose in the winners’ bracket drop down to a consolation/contenders bracket, giving them a path to fight their way back and advance into the semifinals.That format lasts through the quarterfinals only. Once the quarterfinal games are complete, the tournament shifts to a single-elimination format for the remainder of the bracket.In Class 3A, the District 1-3A champion Chieftains landed the No. 6 seed and will open postseason play at 8 a.m. Thursday against No. 11 Sandia Prep on Court 3.Navajo Prep picked up the No. 7 seed and take the floor simultaneously at 8 a.m. on Court 4 against No. 10 Cottonwood Classical Prep.A win by Shiprock would set up an afternoon clash at 2 p.m. Thursday against No. 3 Santa Fe Indian School, which holds an opening-round bye alongside No. 1 St. Michael’s, No. 2 Hot Springs and No. 4 New Mexico Military Institute.Should Navajo Prep take care of business against Cottonwood Classical, the Lady Eagles would advance to face second-seeded Hot Springs in the second round at 2 p.m.Navajo Prep enters the state tournament riding considerable momentum following a dominant district finish. The Lady Eagles capped off their regular season on an 11-match winning streak, including a four-set victory (3-1) over Shiprock on Oct. 22 and sweeping their final six opponents.The Class 3A tournament championship is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.Riding the state’s hottest second-half surge among Class 4A teams, Kirtland Central is heading south to Rio Rancho with hardware on its mind.The Lady Broncos earned the No. 9 seed in the 12-team Class 4A field for the tournament, drawing No. 8 Silver in the opening round at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Rio Rancho Events Center on Court 1.The winner advances to face top-seeded Albuquerque Academy in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. Thursday. The Chargers, along with defending 4A champion and No. 2 St. Pius X, No. 3 Goddard, and No. 4 Hope Christian, earned first-round byes.Few teams enter the state tournament with more momentum than Kirtland Central (16-7). The Broncos march into the postseason on an 11-match winning streak, a tear that began in late September and propelled them to a clean sweep of their District 1-4A schedule.Kirtland Central capped its regular season Thursday with a 3-1 victory over Miyamura, which followed consecutive sweeps over Bloomfield, Aztec, and Gallup.Silver (15-6) counters as a formidable opening test out of District 3-4A. The Fighting Colts feature balanced net play and will look to slow down a Kirtland Central offense that dropped just three sets total during its 11-match run.Should the Lady Broncos pull off the upset against Silver, they face a steep path through the top half of the bracket against Albuquerque Academy, the tournament’s overall favorite.The Class 4A tournament’s championship match will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Rio Rancho Events Center.Piedra Vista fought its way through a grueling regular-season stretch against top-tier competition, earning a spot in the Class 5A bracket.The Panthers earned the No. 9 seed in the 12-team field, setting up an opening-round showdown with District 1-5A foe and eighth-seeded Cibola at noon Thursday.The winner punches a ticket to the quarterfinals to face top-seeded powerhouse La Cueva at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Bears, alongside No. 2 Cleveland, three-time defending state champion and No. 3 Las Cruces, and No. 4 Albuquerque High, received first-round byes.Piedra Vista enters postseason play battle-tested and carrying late-season grit. The Lady Panthers proved their resilience in the regular-season home stretch, highlighted by a thrilling five-set comeback victory (3-2) over Rio Rancho on Nov. 3 and another five-set grinder against crosstown rival Farmington just three days later.Those gut-check performances sharpened Piedra Vista’s court chemistry and defensive resolve ahead of Thursday’s tournament opener.Cibola (11-8) presents an immediate challenge in a classic 8-versus-9 clash. The Cougars feature length along the net and sharp transition hitting, meaning Piedra Vista’s serve-receive passing and block coverage will be critical early to control tempo.Should Piedra Vista get past Cibola, the Lady Panthers would take on a La Cueva squad widely considered the gold standard in New Mexico’s highest classification.The Class 5A tournament finals will take place Saturday at 6 p.m.</div></body>

Block Source: tricityrecordnm.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

RIO RANCHO – A total of four teams from San Juan County are packing their bags for Rio Rancho this week, each eyeing deep runs at the 2026 New Mexico Activities Association’s State Volleyball Championships. Navajo Prep and Shiprock both secured spots in the 12-team Class 3A bracket,...

High school state volleyball tournament opens Thursday

NewsBreak

RIO RANCHO – A total of four teams from San Juan County are packing their bags for Rio Rancho this week, each eyeing deep runs at the 2026 New Mexico Activ

High school state volleyball tournament opens Thursday

Comments