By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
It doesn’t happen too often in volleyball that a team loses the first two games of a match and comes back to win.
But that’s what took place Tuesday when the Pace Lady Vikings prevailed on the road against Mercedes 21-25, 24-26, 25-14, 25-14, 15-11.
The Pace girls didn’t give up. They raised their play to a higher level during the third game and went on to win.
The victory raises the Lady Vikings’ District 32-5A record to 4-4, which is tied with Porter and trails Edcouch-Elsa (7-1), PSJA High (7-1) and Donna High (6-2). Behind Pace and Porter in 32-5A are Mercedes (2-6), PSJA Southwest (2-6) and Donna North (0-8). The top four teams go to the playoffs, so the Oct. 17 match between the Lady Vikings and Cowgirls at Pace promises to be a huge one.
Pace coach Gavin Rudder hopes Tuesday’s victory provides some momentum for his team’s upcoming matches.
“What stood out the most to me was the fact that we lost the first two sets and didn’t give up,” Rudder said. “We showed a lot of heart and fight to continue on and win the next three games.
“I hope we can carry that same mindset and momentum into Saturday’s match (at home) against Donna (High), and really, the rest of the season,” he added. “If we continue to play the way we are playing, we can do some very good things.”
After playing host to Donna High at 2 p.m. Saturday, the Pace girls play at PSJA High next Tuesday before entertaining Porter on Oct. 17.
“The next three matches are very important for us,” Rudder said.
NOT SO BAD: Jackie Kingsbury, Los Fresnos’ standout outside hitter and three-year starter, attended the Lady Falcons’ matches when she was in middle school and longed for the day she could make an impact as a varsity player. She had just one reservation.
“I would come to the matches when I was in seventh and eighth grade and be like ‘Wow,’” said Kingsbury, a 5-foot-10 junior. “I saw some amazing Los Fresnos teams, and I felt that I really wanted to be a part of this program. But Coach (Becky) Woods kind of scared me, and I was just an eighth-grader. I came here (and started) my freshman year, and I found out Coach Woods wasn’t so bad after all.
“Starting as a freshman was definitely a little stressful, but I’m so grateful to have had the experience of playing with this group of girls,” Kingsbury added. “All around, we’re a group of hard workers.”
Ranked No. 2 in the Rio Grande Valley behind Mission Veterans Memorial, the District 32-6A-leading Lady Falcons (8-0) next play at San Benito (4-4) at noon Saturday.
LOOKS EASIER ON PAPER: Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said it’s a “very close” margin that separates the 32-6A teams positioned right behind his third-place squad in the district standings.
The top three teams are Los Fresnos (8-0), Brownsville Veterans Memorial (7-1) and Hanna (6-2), which is coming off Tuesday’s victory at home in four games against fourth-place San Benito (4-4). The next four teams are Rivera (3-5), Harlingen High (3-5), Harlingen South (1-7) and Lopez (0-8).
“These (district) matches are not easy,” Hagemann said. “It looks easier on paper. We went five games (and won) against San Benito and Rivera (during the first round of district). South can be tough at its home gym. The third- through seventh-place teams are very close in this district. It seems very unpredictable.”
Hanna faces another key test at noon Saturday at Harlingen High.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.