DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — Of course Tuesday’s match for the District 32-5A volleyball championship came down to the wire.
If there was ever a contest that so perfectly defined the league’s year, this was it. Back and forth, back and forth, all night long between Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa, until finally the Lady Yellowjackets prevailed in a hotly-contested affair, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 20-25 and 15-10 at Donna High to claim a share of the league title with the Bravettes.
“We wanted it more than anything,” E-E libero Dani Rivera said. “We needed it. We knew we had to step up.
“We went for every ball as if it was ours. We had to fight for every point. We had each other’s backs.”
It was the first district title for E-E since 2012, when it completed a string of five in a row before finishing second last year. It’s Donna High’s first title since 2004, capping off an impressive turnaround season after it finished a win short of the playoffs last season.
“We did want it outright, since it’s been awhile since a district championship was ours alone, but we also knew we were already in (the playoffs),” Donna High coach Cindy Viesca said. “But we were out of sync and Edcouch played really well. The girls feel bad, but we just have to learn from this. This will help us in the playoffs.”
As it has all season, Edcouch-Elsa (23-16, 13-1 32-5A) fought and scratched and clawed. The Bravettes (34-9, 13-1) have more talent, and overwhelmed early behind the towering play of middle blocker Yvette Tamez, but the Lady Yellowjackets never gave up.
Throughout the night, different players stepped up. Whether it was the formidable defense anchored by Rivera and middle blocker Ale Martinez, or the hitting of Crystal Hernandez and the late clutch play of Sam Martinez and Jaqueline Alvarado, E-E got what it needed when it needed it badly.
“We’ve never been a one-man show,” E-E coach Ofelia Griffith said. “Never. Ever. We have always emphasized team. That’s the only way you’re going to win, not just in district but in the playoffs.
“One person can only carry you for so long. And this team is a team. It’s a beautiful thing.”
The final game was tied at 10 before E-E rallied off five straight points for the win.
Hernandez had a dink to a gap to start things off. Ale Martinez added another dink. And the Bravettes didn’t help themselves with three unforced errors, miscues that plagued them all night.
“The girls’ confidence level was down at times and Edcouch stayed up the whole time,” Viesca said. “They knew they had to win to get a share of it, and they wanted it more.”
The Lady Yellowjackets started the season off slow, losing 10 of their first 16 games.
It’s a new, inexperienced group Griffith has this season. But it’s one that’s grown up considerably since August, one that can, even surprisingly to players themselves, call itself district champs.
“I’ve told my girls, from the first season I got here to now, I want to play the same from beginning to end,” Griffith said. “First point to the last point, first game to the last game. We go out there and we fight and we play all the way to the end. That’s when we’re at our best, and tonight we did it.
“I think that’s what’s gotten us to where we are.”