BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — McAllen High setter Carter Helmcamp thinks her job is pretty easy. Surrounded by two All-Valley players in Sydney Pemelton and Julia Monday, plus a strong supporting cast, Helmcamp has no shortage of setting options.
McHi put all of those weapons to work on Saturday, slamming home kill after kill to take down McAllen Rowe 25-23, 25-20 in the Sharyland ISD Invitational at Sharyland Pioneer.
“Whoever I give it to, I know they’ll do an amazing job and put the ball away quick,” Helmcamp said.
McAllen High had 33 kills. Monday led the way with 13, Helmcamp had 8, and Pemelton had 7 with three blocks to cement herself as the tournament MVP.
Pemelton and Monday have consistently been the Lady Bulldogs’ top kill producers, and each has developed significantly after starting as sophomores last year. Monday has stepped up her play in the back row defensively, and Pemelton said she’s grown stronger as a result of her offseason work at McAllen High and with the Cavazos Sports Institute in McAllen.
“Sydney has just become such a powerful hitter,” Helmcamp said. “Almost anything I give her, she’s learned how to put it where they’re not.”
Helmcamp also had success as an attacker on Saturday. With Rowe’s defense stretched to try to take away Monday and Pemelton, Helmcamp frequently found openings for dump shots between Rowe’s defenders.
“That’s just a strategy that we’ve used whenever the team is off or they’re transitioning,” Helmcamp said. “If they’re in the wrong place, we dump when they’re not ready, and it’s an easy point right there.”
The win continues a dominant start to 2015 for McAllen High, which is now 26-1. The win against Rowe capped a run of nine victories without dropping a game at the Sharyland tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs went on a similar steak in the Poundfest Tournament two weeks ago, going 9-0 without dropping a set and again beating Rowe in the final.
“We’re really gelling this year, and we’re staying focused,” Pemelton said. “We want to stay on top, and we’re working really hard to do that.”
McAllen High coach Paula Dodge hasn’t been surprised by the success of her squad. With Helmcamp, Pemelton and Monday joined by fellow returners Hannah Bishop, Taylor Helmcamp and Alexis Giusti, Dodge knew her team would be able to draw on its experience to get through tight situations. So far, so good.
“I’ve always been excited about the potential for this team,” Dodge said. “We work hard, all year long. At the end of last year, I was excited about this year. It’s just been a countdown from the end of one season to the next.”