ROSWELL – Mescalero Apache’s quest for its first victory of the 2026 season is still ongoing, as the Chiefs went 0-3 at the Gateway Christian Warrior Invitational over the weekend.
In a three-game, 25-14, 25-8, 25-13 contest, the Chiefs weren’t completely overpowered. According to coach Tristine Duran, her players are getting used to their lineup and rotation and starting to play better.
“We were trying to see where the girls best click together,” Duran said. “We had several rotations and had different girls in different positions. We ended up going to what we normally run, and I felt the girls were more comfortable with it.”
Mescalero got a few stellar plays throughout the match, including a big block by Tamree Marden for a point in the third game. But those kind of plays were far and few between.
Gateway Christian Kaylee Stephens was still impressed by Mescalero’s abilities.
“That’s a very scrappy team, and it’s tough to put the ball down against them,” Stephens said. “It’s hard on us when we swing hard, but they still got that ball up against us.”
With all the unexpected plays from the Chiefs, Stephens said the focus had to be on team communication.
“We can’t give up on plays and just wait for the whistle to blow,” Stephens said. “We had to be attentive to what’s going on on the other side.”
Mescalero later lost to Loving and Mesa Vista in three-game sweeps. The Chiefs tried to get their first win over Tularosa Tuesday and took the Wildcats to five games, but eventually fell 18-25, 25-17, 25-12, 23-25, 15-5.
Tularosa (2-4) earned its second straight victory, while the Chiefs (0-8) played their best match of the season, answering the Wildcats point-for-point much of the way through. Tularsa is back on the court this weekend with an appearance at the Magdalena tournament starting Sept. 11.
Mescalero, meanwhile, hosts Alamo Navajo in a single match Sept. 11.
Todd Fuqua is Sports Editor for the Alamogordo News and can be reached at 575-937-0344.
