By Stephen Jiron
LA JARA — In Centauri High School, Thursday night marked the beginning for both Alamosa and Centauri’s volleyball schedules entering the 2018 season. Alamosa would come away with the win by a score of three sets to none.
For Alamosa the win represents a welcome change of pace from last year where they missed the post season and were swept by their league rivals to the south. For Centauri the loss takes a tremendous amount of pressure off. The Falcons were a team that wore a target on their back all season with an undefeated record that they carried into the post season. With that pesky loss in the books Centauri can avoid the distractions and expectations that come with perfection and focus on getting better with every game.
Alamosa wasted no time attacking the Falcons in the first set, opening a wide gap and nurturing it to a 25-19 completion. The second set got off to a snail pace with both teams trading side-outs back and forth to a 7-8 game where the offenses began capitalizing on their serves. A 4-point run late pushed the odds in Alamosa’s favor, who picked up the second set by a score of 25-19.  
The Falcons got serious in the third set opening with a cluster of points to take a 5-0 lead. Which seemed like it could be problematic for the Moose in the early going. Alamosa whittled away at the lead by utilizing some difficult to time and well executed quick sets. Then with senior Sylvie Caton at the service line the Moose would pick up a cluster of their own with 6 straight points. Caton would close her night with four aces, a team high. Alamosa picked up the third set by a score of 25-20 thereby sealing the match for the visiting Moose.
Caton continued on with last year’s aggressive efforts in the Kill stat with a team leading 13 kills. Behind her was sophomore Terese Chavez. The team lead in blocks went to senior Emily Depriest locking down the net with 6 total blocks.
For Centauri the team lead in kills went to senior Madison Sowards with four. Ashtyn Haslett, Melissa Wilson, Brynli Sowards and Isabel Prieto all tied for second on the team with three each.