MISSION — The opening of Sharyland Pioneer put Sharyland High in a bind.
After losing its volleyball coach and roughly 60 percent of its program to nearby Pioneer, the Lady Rattlers were left with only three returners (two starters) and plenty of holes to fill. Paige Jones, an outside hitter, offered to help by playing setter. Maddie Garza, a middle blocker, did the same.
“It’s a tough position,” Sharyland High coach Raul Castillo said. “But they’re handling it well.”
The change was born out of necessity; Pioneer absorbed a chunk of the Lady Rattlers’ roster, including their setters. But it seems like the ideal role for Garza, a team captain, and Jones — two players who will be relied upon this season to shoulder the leadership role on a relatively inexperienced team.
“It’s a little bumpy,” Garza admitted, after her team was eliminated from the Mission Tournament on Friday, “but it’s preseason.”
The Lady Rattlers beat PSJA Memorial 25-13, 25-11 on Friday before losing to San Benito 25-17, 25-18. Sharyland High is taking its lumps at 8-8, but Castillo is being patient, understanding that his Lady Rattlers are essentially “starting from scratch” this season.
Garza and Jones were part of last year’s team that was ranked No. 10 in the RGVSports.com end-of-the-year poll. As sophomores, they played with seven seniors and didn’t have the level of responsibilities that they do now. This season, they’re assuming a heavier load.
“It’s a lot of pressure, a lot of weight on their shoulders,” Castillo said. “But they’re figuring it out. In the beginning, it was a lot of pressure. You could see it on their faces. But right now, two weeks into the season, three weeks, they look good. They just have to get more reps.”
To prepare for this season, Jones began playing setter during the summer. Garza practiced at it during open gyms. When the position became available at Sharyland High, both asked for the challenge.
“They’re go-getters,” the first-year coach said. “‘Whatever you say, Coach, we’re going to do.’”
Garza, who was a second team all-district selection last year, doesn’t see the new position as a burden. If anything, it creates more opportunities.
“I think that’s a good thing,” she said. “It forces people to open their eyes that we have an opportunity and we need to take advantage of it. That makes players want to work harder and that gives our team a good work ethic, and that’s what we have. We’re going to keep working hard.”
Jones, who has played with Garza since middle school, said she has enjoyed her role because “you have to lead the team more and run more of the plays. You’re controlling what’s happening on the court,” she said.
It’s a different role than the two had last year, but as Garza sees it, “it’s not something that practice won’t help.”
On Friday, Garza recorded 11 kills, five aces and eight assists between the two matches. Jones added seven kills, four aces and 14 assists, as the two began showing progress working in tandem.
“We’re making strides,” Castillo said. “I tell them, ‘Give it time. We’re learning little by little.’ But we’ll get there.”