The bullies of the District 2AAAAA volleyball block — Albuquerque Sandia and Albuquerque La Cueva — have been kicking sand in the faces of the Demonettes for the past several seasons.

Year after year, Santa Fe High School's hopes of reaching the Class AAAAA State Tournament have been buried by either La Cueva, or Sandia, or both.

Once again, the Demonettes are on the cusp of the playoffs, after sweeping Albuquerque Valley out of the district tournament 25-7, 25-16, 25-22 Wednesday night in Toby Roybal Memorial Gymnasium.

Once again, Sandia and La Cueva are waiting to knock Santa Fe High down — and out of the postseason.

The line is drawn — Sandia on one side, Santa Fe High on the other.

The time and place are set — 7 Friday night, Sandia gymnasium.

The Demonettes won't back out. But will they back down?

Sam Estrada doesn't believe so.

"They play solid defense, they have good passing, and they have the added plus of big hitters on the front row at all times, the kind that unnerves teams," Estrada said of the Lady Matadors, the second seeds.

"We need to put pressure on them right away."

Yes, need was emphasized.

Estrada believes the Demonettes can do that if ...

"We reduce our errors. We play consistently well. We have to be tough on the back row," he said.

Yes, have was emphasized.

Sandia is 15-5. The Lady Matadors suffered three losses to La Cueva. The also were on the losing end to Albuquerque Eldorado and Las Cruces Mayfield. Santa Fe High did not win a game in the two regular-season meetings with Sandia.

Estrada believes an upset of Sandia makes Santa Fe High a shoo-in for an at-large selection to next week's 12-team state tournament. What if the Demonettes (8-12) only come close?

"It's possible," Estrada said of losing and still reaching state. "We seem to be coming together at the right time."

Exhibit A was the opener against Valley.

Only one ball — Erin Trujillo's service winner — touched the Demonettes' side of the court. It was the only point Valley actually earned. The other six were mistakes from the aggressive Demonettes.

Santa Fe High swung hard, and served harder. Ashley Romero served two aces to complement the team's 11 kills. The Demonettes scored 16 of the final 18 points, including eight straight for 21-7.

At that point, the game became Senior Night.

Kamille Borrego-Ojinaga recorded a kill off a slide and tipped over the block. Marissa Martinez followed with a block kill and Gabrielle "Brie" Villa set the ball behind the Valley defense for game point.

The fourth senior, Lauren Salazar, left her imprint in the final game. Before that, Romero took center stage.

Romero, the junior outside hitter, had two kills and two service winners as Santa Fe High doubled Valley, 10-5. Romero started another 5-0 spurt with a crosscourt kill. Before the game was through, she served two more winners.

The third game was more than ceremonial.

Valley built a 13-9 advantage before the Demonettes whittled the gap to 14-13 on kills from Camille Romero and Ashley Romero, a Camille Romero block and a Sarah Chavez ace.

Trailing 16-13, Salazar recorded a stuff from the middle, the first of six unanswered points. Salazar's second stuff preceded her kill off the block for 20-17.

The advantage didn't last.

Borrego-Ojinaga snipped a four-point Valley string with a tip to knot the score, 21-21. She untied it with a kill. Camille Romero made it back-to-back kills on a Valley overpass.

Borrego-Ojinaga's tip off a slide gave the Demonettes match point. One serve, and one Valley mistake later, one season was over. As for the other?

Stay tuned.

Before Estrada turned his attention to Sandia, he made a couple Demonettes on his mind.

"Kamille was hitting the best I've seen her all year," Estrada said. "Ashley, too."

Ashley Romero finished with a season-high 15 kills. Borrego-Ojinaga had nine kills. Salazar, meanwhile, had four kills to go with three solo blocks.

No one is confusing the Demonettes with being a bully.

Then again, they are out to prove they are no longer the 98-pound weakling.

Contact Pancho Morris at 986-3089 or panchom@sfnewmexican.com.