Winning three of four sets against their city foe for the third time in a row, visiting Cleveland High outlasted Rio Rancho (26-24, 18-25, 25-12, 25-17) in a loud and obviously pink-oriented Rams Athletic Center on Oct. 6.
Longtime Rio Rancho High School volleyball coach Toby Manzanares said the annual Volleybash, a 16-team tournament contested at RRHS Sept. 23-24, was like “a mini state tournament.”
The Cleveland Storm is taking any and all points it can get from service aces and key stops up front to attacking the back edges and tipping the ball over the net to an open gap to maintain its hold atop the District 1-5A volleyball standings. They again capitalized on such moments in their four-set win (25-20, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20) Tuesday at crosstown rival Rio Rancho, well aware that every key point, every set and every victory matters with the state playoffs looming.