Special to the Artesia Daily Press
Daniel Zuniga
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Day 3 of the 2026 NMAA tennis state championships took the Artesia Bulldogs across town to the Ventana Ranch Tennis Courts. By day’s end, both the girls’ and boys’ teams had punched their tickets to the semifinals.
“We’ve made leaps and bounds this year. This is the farthest we’ve ever come,” Artesia senior Jackson Hollinger said.
The Artesia girls defeated Hope Christian 5-0, while the boys beat New Mexico Military Institute in a nail-biter, 5-4.
“It’s on to the semifinals. The boys and girls did great,” head coach Melissa Warren said. “We’ll go home, eat, shower, and get ready for tomorrow morning.”
May 8 was the sunniest day of the state championships, and the new venue on Albuquerque’s West Side brought extra obstacles. Finding courts for warmups, for example, was no easy feat.
“We hit three or four different spots and, finally, we were able to find some courts to warm up. Then, when we got out here, they were running behind. So, we waited a lot. On the flip side, the teams we played had already played a match,” Warren said. “It was a long day for everybody.”
The girls took care of business, sweeping Hope Christian 5-0 in singles before the match could reach doubles.
“It’s been a pretty exciting year. We’ve got a great roster. From one through five, there’s really no skill falloff. We’re all battling it out with each other at practice,” Hollinger said. “Six and seven are also pretty good, too.”
The boys found themselves in a dogfight with a familiar opponent: New Mexico Military Institute.
Provided | Daniel Zuniga,
Abigail Jowers of Artesia returns the ball in a game at the state tournament on Thursday.
“We’ve played New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) three times, and all three times it’s come down to my match,” Hollinger said.
With the score tied 4-4, the soccer player-turned-tennis standout credited his teammates for cheering him on — and eventually to victory.
“Cheering each other on is probably the most important thing. Tennis is a very mental game,” Hollinger said.
Both teams will begin their quest for state titles Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Jerry Cline Tennis Complex.
In the semifinals, the girls will face second-seeded Espanola Valley, while the boys will play top-seeded Albuquerque Academy. The finals are scheduled for 3 p.m.