Gallup volleyball ends its playoff run with loss to Silver

RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Making the state playoffs has become an annual tradition for the Gallup volleyball team.

The 11th-seeded Lady Bengals (16-9) earned its sixth qualification, all under the tutelage of longtime coach LaRena Morris.

Morris has been with the program since 2011, starting as the C-team coach before she moved up to head the JV program. In 2016, she took over the reins of the program, and since 2019, her varsity squad has made a postseason appearance.

“I’m just really proud of what we’ve done because we don’t have much in Gallup in terms of volleyball,” Morris said. “You know, watching these teams, especially the Albuquerque area teams, any coach could be proud that we’re keeping up with them.”

And though their stay was brief, Gallup gave No. 4 seed Silver a scare before coming up short 25-15, 27-25, and 25-22 in Friday’s elimination round. The day earlier, the Bengals fell to No. 6 seed Portales 25-7, 25-15, and 25-11.

“A couple of my girls are not at their top level of play here at the state tournament,” Morris said. “But, you know, I think they did really well. They did battle. They did come back.

“My captains got our team going,” she added. “They just put their leadership hats on, and they took over the team, and they just kept playing.”

Gallup senior setter Miranda Begay says her team gave it their best effort in the final two sets against Silver. At one point, the Bengals were serving for the win at 25-24.

“We really had to depend on each other,” Begay said. “We had to trust each other, and we just had to make sure that we were covering every time a person goes up for a spike.”

Begay, who has been on the varsity squad since her eighth-grade year, was elated to have made the playoffs five straight years.

“It means a lot because it’s really tough getting here,” Begay said. “I think we did a pretty good job of getting here, but it’s kind of hard not seeing the blue (trophy).”

Gallup middle blocker Rylie Whitehorse is another veteran on the squad that has made the playoffs multiple times. Whitehorse made the varsity team her freshman season.

“These four years have been a great moment of my life,” Whitehorse said. “I’ve enjoyed every player that I played with over the four years, but this last year was my favorite team because we all had a special bond together.

“I just feel like every year that I’ve been here, we always had a bond, but this one is very special.”

Throughout the season, Whitehorse has used her 6-foot-2-inch frame to patrol the net. Her main role was being the first line of defense against the opposing team. She was also one of the team’s leading hitters, along with junior middle hitter Summer Joe.

“I do have a huge presence,” Whitehorse said. “Without my ability and height, I feel that we would probably most likely get dominated in the back row if it weren’t for my height to go block.

“With me, playing up front helps my teammates a lot,” she added. “They can read the ball when I use my blocks.”

And though she loves playing volleyball, Whitehorse has committed to play collegiate basketball for the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. She is scheduled to sign to the Division I school on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Gallup High School.

In addition to Begay and Whitehorse, the Gallup team will also be losing Shoshanna Smith, Hailey Yazzie, and Layla Livingston to graduation in May.

“The biggest void we’re going to have next year is Rylie’s position,” Morris said. “I mean, she was our blocker and our hitter. She was practically our front row, so losing her is going to be a big blow.”

The Gallup coach says Begay played an instrumental role for her team after she moved from the libero’s position to the team’s setter.

“Miranda played a new role for me, but I think she did a good job of stepping in and adjusting to that new role,” Morris said. “She did a good job of setting up our hitters.”

Smith was another standout player she depended on.

“She played all the way around for me,” Morris said. “Not only did she play well offensively, she did a good job defensively in the back row. She passed the well, too. Losing her is gonna also really affect us.”

Defensively, the Gallup team used Yazzie and Livingston in the back row.

“Layla played Rylie’s position in the back row, so she was one of my best passers for me,” Morris said. “Hailey was also a defensive specialist.”

With five key players set to graduate, the Gallup coach says they’re going to be young next season.

“The girls that are coming back now know what state feels like,” Morris said. “Hopefully, with that experience, they’re gonna be hungry.”

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