FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
RAYMONDVILLE – Intracounty rivals Raymondville and Lyford met for the first time this season on the volleyball court Tuesday evening at the Lady Bearkats gymnasium.
The Lady Bearkats easily handed Lyford a loss, 25-13, 25-19, and 25-6, improving their season record to 2-0 while the Lady Bulldogs fell to 1-2.
“I think it went well,” said Raymondville head coach Norma Rodriguez. “I have a lot of faith in these girls because they have been doing so well working as a team, coming together and they are finally getting where I want them to be.
“And at this point that is exactly where I want them to be before district.”
The Lady Bearkats cruised thought the first game, however the second was an entirely different story. The Lady Bulldogs fought back from a 4-1 deficit to tie up the game at 7-7 before the Lady Bearkats blew things open to finish 25-19.
Up two games, Raymondville dominated the third going on a 15-1 run to start. Unforced errors plagued the Lady Bulldogs, who were down by as much as 20 at one point, before succumbing to a 25-6 loss in the final game.
For the Lady Bearkats, team captain Miranda Esparza had eight kills and two blocks on the night with teammates Monique Moncevaiz contributing four kills and Iscela Bazaldua leading with 14 service points.
“Both Miranda and Monique are my two senior team leaders,” said Rodriguez. “They’ve been with me since they were sophomores and they lead this young team.”
If there’s one team dealing with inexperience this season, it’s Lyford.
When Teresa Gutierrez became the new volleyball coach at Lyford over the summer, she knew it would come with an entirely new set of challenges.
Last season the Lyford program that went undefeated in District 32-3A, graduated 12 seniors leaving this year’s squad void of any varsity experience.
The Lady Bearkats will compete at the Volley at the Beach Tournament in Port Isabel this weekend while the Lady Bulldogs will be at the Mission Tournament.