Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
The race for the District 4-3A volleyball crown started off on an even playing field after each team had to endure a pair of five-set battles.
Now, the Dexter Demons are beginning to pull away from the pack.
On Tuesday night, the Demons notched a straight-set sweep over the New Mexico Military Institute Colts, 25-19, 25-14, 25-20, at the Godfrey Athletic Center.
The opening set was close at the start.
Olive Amechi came away with a kill to put NMMI behind by one point.
Dexter (4-15, 2-0) then used a 4-0 run to increase its lead to eight.
Riding a good wave of momentum, the Demons gradually surged ahead to a 10-point lead. Dexter led by as much as 12 points late in the set.
Trying to avoid being held to a single digit in the set, Emily Spaniel delivered a kill for the Colts.
Down the stretch, NMMI fought hard. Amechi tallied a pair of service aces to help chisel down the double-digit deficit to seven.
The Colts had taken advantage of some Dexter miscues to trail by as little as four.
Dexter closed the set out on a 2-0 run to win 25-19.
NMMI (4-15, 0-2) battled to begin the second set, trailing by as much as two until the Demons went on an offensive run to make the score 12-7.
The Colts got a kill from Spaniel and another service ace by Amechi to trail by four in the middle of the set.
Dexter rallied by going on an 8-0 run to eventually take a 2-0 lead in the match with an 11-point win in the second game.
The Demons started off the final set on a 4-0 run.
NMMI kept the set close after Daniela Laporte came away with a clutch block and Spaniel added with a service ace.
Holding a two-point lead, the Demons used a 3-0 run to make the score 16-9.
Towards the end of the set, NMMI kept trying to claw its way back into the game by cutting the deficit to four.
Unfortunately, it was Dexter that was able to hold on for the sweep.
NMMI hosts Tucumcari at 5:30 p.m. next Tuesday while the Demons travel to Tucumcari at 6 p.m. Thursday.