BLOOMFIELD – After surrendering a two-game lead in their opening match of the season, Bloomfield rallied for a 15-11 win in the fifth and final game to open their volleyball campaign with a victory over Grants on Tuesday at Bobcat Arena.
The win also marks the first for Bloomfield head coach Carley Smith, who succeeded Kim Williams.
“This win means everything,” Smith said. “Between the girls, between the beginning of the summer and from what we had when we first walked into this gym to tonight, they have definitely overcome a lot of obstacles, and so we’re just going to take that and work with it all season.”
The Pirates opened a 10-3 lead in the first set, prompting a Bobcat timeout. Bloomfield slowly chipped away as senior Kailani Mariano’s ace kickstarted a rally, eventually tying the set at 16 after a Grants error at the net.
The Bobcats took their first lead at 19-18. Junior Ryli Heckman added a kill, and Mariano followed with an ace to send the Bobcats to a 25-21 first-set win.
Mariano started the second set with two blocks, helping Bloomfield build an 11-5 lead as the Grants defense struggled to contain the Bobcats’ aggression at the net.
Bloomfield opened the gap to 20-11 before the Pirates mounted a late push, taking advantage of tips that found open spots. Grants cut the deficit to 24-19, but Bloomfield senior Sophia Gallegos delivered the final kill to secure a 25-19 win in the second set.
Mariano, Gallegos and Heckman anchored the offense, combining for at least 21 kills. Mariano recorded three aces.
“(Heckman) and (Gallegos) started on JV about two years ago and I was fortunate enough to be their coach, so I’ve got to watch them grow and improve with (Mariano) as well,” Smith said of the trio. “They have come a long way from when they first stepped onto the court, so I’m excited to see what they bring this year.”
Grants rallied in the third set as sophomore Harlow Kiyite found her footing offensively. Kiyite led with at least 11 kills and one ace. Sophomore Kiana Guzman added a couple of kills of her own as Bloomfield struggled with serving and communication.
The teams traded points and tied at 16 before the Pirates took control, sparked by two straight Kiyite kills that shifted the momentum and helped Grants claim a 25-18 win.
The Pirates continued their aggressive attack at the net in the fourth set, taking an 11-7 lead before a pair of aces from Bloomfield’s Devyn Dahozy and Grants miscues helped the Bobcats cut the deficit to 14-13, forcing a Pirates timeout.
The teams traded points until tying at 19, before a Bloomfield error helped Grants pull ahead 24-21. The Bobcats mounted a late push when Heckman’s tip cut the deficit to 24-22. Their comeback ended when Kiyite sent a kill down the left side to secure a 25-22 win for Grants.
After strong hitting from Gallegos and Mariano, the Bobcats opened the deciding set with a 6-5 lead but struggled to maintain it with a shorter bench. Heckman’s kill tied the set at 11 after a brief slip, sparking a Bloomfield rally that pushed the Bobcats ahead 13-11. A pair of missed hits from Grants gave Bloomfield the 15-11 win.
Bloomfield (1-0) will host Bernalillo at 2 p.m. Saturday, while Grants (0-1) looks to rebound Thursday when it hosts Taos.