By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS — Los Fresnos volleyball’s middle blocker Sam Ibarra is a completely different player than she was two years ago.
For her hard work and dedication, Ibarra will continue her playing career at Southwest Baptist University, a NCAA Division II school in Bolivar, Missouri, after making it official during a signing ceremony Wednesday.
“I was on her every single day, during practice I probably yelled at her more than anybody because I knew she could be really good,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “She had to find it — to dig deep and find it — and she did. That’s what made her so special.”
Ibarra had several coaches contact her and she visited a few schools, but Southwest Baptist was the right fit.
“I liked the feel. I just knew … I had a feeling,” she said. “It was the place for me.”
Ibarra has become a good player because she dedicated herself to improving.
“She wasn’t really good as a sophomore, she was a little clumsy and awkward,” Woods said. “As she got older, she kept getting better and better and better, to the point where she just broke out and that made her so great. You don’t get a lot of kids that can do that.
“Year after year, you saw improvement.”
Ibarra earned All-Metro first team honors and the district defensive player of the year as a junior on a Lady Falcons team that shared a district title with Brownsville Veterans Memorial and advanced to the Sweet 16. As a senior, Ibarra was selected the All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all district as Los Fresnos went unbeaten in District 32-6A to capture another title and it advanced to the third round of the playoffs.
Ibarra, a two-year varsity starter, also led the team with 379 kills and 337 blocks in her final season.
Next year, Ibarra plans to study children’s ministry while she begins her collegiate volleyball career with the Bearcats. She credits Woods by helping reach her potential.
“It molded me in so many ways,” Ibarra said. “Coach Woods pushed me every practice and every game, it’s helped me to play the best I can and get to where I am right now. “
Woods said her senior was always the one to keep her team positive, complimenting her teammates. Ibarra never complained and always showed respect to anyone and everyone, coaches, opponents, you name it.
“She always wanted to do what’s best for the team,” Woods said. “She’s going to be a leader, she’ll rally the people around her like she did here. She’ll do really well I really think she will. She’s just a good kid.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.