A win tonight against Corpus Christi London, however, will send the Lady Trojans to the regional tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
Despite a lot being on the line tonight, the Lady Trojans come into tonight’s regional quarterfinal matchup on a roll.
“I was shocked at how well we played this last game. I thought we would have to go four or five games, but we were able to win in three,” Suarez said. “It was the best that I’ve ever seen the girls play.”
It’s definitely shown.
The Lady Trojans downed Bruni in bi-district in four sets and picked up a sweep over Charlotte in the area round. But getting to this point wasn’t easy.
The Lady Trojans fell to Santa Maria in their second district game, but rebounded and have now won eight matches in a row.
In the rematch against Santa Maria, the Lady Trojans began to hit their stride.
“The team finally pulled together and it was because we worked on our leadership skills and started to work as a team,” Suarez said. “Against Santa Maria at home, the girls saw how well they can do when they work together and talk on the court. They’ve gone out and played with heart. They’ve been told to go out there like they never want to come off the court. I told them to dig deep, play hard and it will come, and it has.
“I’m really, really proud of the team. They’ve come a long way.”
As for the players, the journey this season has been an emotional one.
During the start of the year, the Lady Trojans were so unsatisfied with their play, it caused frustration.
“In the beginning, we were horrible and wanted to cry,” said senior Mia Maurer, who led the Trojans with seven kills, three blocks and four digs against Charlotte.
“We had group talks every day and tried to get it together, but it never worked. Then, the chemistry and teamwork began to happen and we became like a family.”
With a chance to make the Sweet 16, the rocky road it took to get there would make that accomplishment just that much sweeter for the team.
“If someone told us we had a chance to make the Sweet 16, I would’ve said no,” said senior Viviana Razo. “Looking at us now, I’d say yes; we’re going to make history. Making the regional tournament will be the highlight of our high school years.”
But the Lady Trojans face a tough London team that went 12-0 in District 31-2A and won each game by way of sweep.
“(London) is tall and we’ve watched film, so the girls know what to do and what to expect,” Suarez said. “I’ve really got our hitters at their peak. It’ll be hard to hit against a team who double blocks, but overall, we’ve come a long way. We just need to go out, play big, play smart, find the open spots and put the ball there.
“After all, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
The Region IV quarterfinals are set to start at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Riviera-Kaufer High School.