After wrapping up the regular season with a 25-9, 25-13, 25-18 victory over Ray on Monday, the Patagonia Lobos volleyball team enters this weekend’s 1A South Region Tournament looking to build momentum for next week’s state tournament.
The Lobos finished the regular season with a 13-6 record and ranked 11th in Class 1A, which positions them for their first state tournament appearance since 2016.
Patagonia had climbed to No. 9 in the 1A rankings after a streak of six wins in seven matches, but it took a step back after a 21-25, 24-26, 25-22, 23-25 loss at San Simon on Oct. 25.
Head coach Andres Cuevas said the loss reflected a season-long struggle for the Lobos with inconsistency and emotional letdowns.
“It was so disappointing,” Cuevas said. “We were so confident, we were working during the week on some of our mistakes in our previous game against Lourdes, and then when we start the struggle, the emotions are still going down.”
Serving continues to be a strong point for the Lobos, with sophomore Amaya Somoza and Monique Snell both ranking among the region leaders in aces. “Our serve is so good,” he said. “We’re struggling a little with our defense and with our passing. Both skills are very similar.”
Cuevas also credited junior Emma Lewton with providing an emotional lift for Patagonia, even while playing through a nagging injury.
After bouncing back from the San Simon loss with their victory over Ray, the Lobos head to Tucson for the 1A South Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The state tournament begins next Tuesday.
“We just have to keep working on our emotions and continue to improve,” Cuevas said.