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Weslaco High denies La Joya in three games
Comments 0 | Recommend 0LA JOYA - Every time La Joya pulled closer, Weslaco High made a big run.
The Pantherettes used those rallies to record a 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 victory against the Lady Coyotes on Tuesday night in a non-district volleyball match at the Lady Coyotes' gym.
"We played well," Weslaco High coach Essie Bloomquist said. "We communicated well and thought about what we were going to do."
The Pantherettes (2-5) received some solid play up front from Kristy Conner and Kim Marquiz. Each had nine kills and six blocks.
La Joya fell to 0-3 but didn't play poorly and had some opportunities.
"We're a young team," Lady Coyotes coach Liza Guajardo said. "We're going to get better."
The stats didn't show it, but the Lady Coyotes received a good game from Alisha Peña, who had a number of good hits but only one kill to show for it.
"She's the heart and soul of our team," Guajardo said.
The first game set the tone for the entire match.
La Joya got off to a good start and led 13-10 only to see the Pantherettes score seven straight points for a 17-13 edge. La Joya cut it to 18-16 but Weslaco High closed out the game with a 7-0 run, the game point coming on a Conner block at the net.
"Kristy and Kim did a good job, and we served very well," Bloomquist said.
Nikki Espinosa had eight straight service points during the opening-game win.
Game 2 followed a similar pattern, with it being close early, before a 17-9 Pantherettes run broke open an 8-7 contest.
Marquiz closed out the game with a kill.
The third game was more of the same. Again, the game was close early with Weslaco High holding a 9-8 edge. However as momentum seemed to be swinging to La Joya, Marquiz's nice little drop shot gave Weslaco High a 10-8 edge and the momentum again. The Pantherettes followed that point with an 11-5 run to make it 20-13, before La Joya pulled within five at 20-15.
But Weslaco had one last run and closed out the win with a 5-1 burst.
Paul Conatzer covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442.
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