By Adam Kujawski, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial seems to be making a theme out of sweeping opponents in dominating fashion.
They claimed another victim Tuesday night, defeating Rivera by more than 10 points in each game during a 25-13, 25-14, 25-10 victory over the Lady Raiders.
“We can’t underestimate any team,” Brownsville Veterans coach Lisa Mares said. “With that said, I feel like they came out today, they played hard, they didn’t mess around and they took care of business, so I’m happy with that.”
Krista Lopez opened Game 1 with two straight aces for the Lady Chargers, setting the scene for the rest of the evening. Brownsville Veterans went on an 8-2 run and followed it with a 7-0 run later in the game, causing Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra to call a timeout down 16-5, but the deficit was too great.
While the Lady Raiders matched Brownsville Veterans nearly point-for-point down the stretch, they still dropped the first game.
Avelar-Guerra was disappointed with her team’s performance.
“They didn’t play well,” she said. “I think they were intimidated or something. It’s a young team, and I tell them we need to work at getting better and play up to their potential.”
The Lady Chargers made sure to bury Rivera early in Game 2, taking the first seven points and forcing Avelar-Guerra to call another timeout, this time in a 9-2 hole.
As was the case earlier, the Lady Raiders came out of the huddle with a spark, taking the next four points. However, Brownsville Veterans gained control and closed out the second game.
Mares previously played for and coached under Avelar-Guerra. As a student of her opponent, Mares knew how to pinpoint a game plan in practice.
“The practices (was the key to the win),” Mares said. “Rivera is really good at placing the ball in spots that are open, so I made sure to practice that (Monday).
“I know Liz, she was my coach and I worked under her, so I know the way she coaches and what she does, so I prepared my girls with that.”
A fast start propelled the Lady Chargers again in Game 3. A 15-2 early lead quickly put the game out of reach.
“We’ve already changed our lineups, like, six times,” Avelar-Guerra said. “We lost one kid, and then we lost another and another, so we’re changing lineups and trying to figure out how to reset. We’re kind of rebuilding now.
“I told them it’s OK if we lose, but we’ve got to play hard. I told them I don’t want to see this again.”
Mariza Cardenas led the way with 12 kills for Brownsville Veterans, and B.B. Brown played strong defense, chipping in 14 digs.
Daniela Carrion was the best player for Rivera, leading her team in kills and digs with eight and 13, respectively.
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.