BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
EDINBURG — The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks and Edcouch-Elsa Yellow Jackets shared a commonality as they stepped into Edinburg Vela’s gymnasium. Both teams were bi-district champions last season, which meant one of them would exit the floor — and the season — as a first-round flameout.
The Diamondbacks weren’t going to be denied on Tuesday night as they outlasted the Yellow Jackets 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 25-11.
“I know this is what we’ve been working toward,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Laura Cavazos said. “We always focus on how we finish. Every day, we’re just trying to improve and pick it up in practice knowing the postseason’s going to be tough. Everybody in the playoffs are offensively and defensively sound. We want to make sure we come out and put our best team on the floor.”
Like most nights, Pioneer senior setter Audrey Smith was a central force of the Diamondbacks’ attack, compiling a game-high 36 assists to go along with 16 digs, 8 kills, 4 aces and a block.
“We have a special bond with this team. It’s a lot different than the last three years,” Smith said. “It’s my senior year, so I want to make the best of it.”
Pioneer won the first game rather handily, owning 14-4 and 23-13 leads. Edcouch-Elsa was the aggressor in game two, though the Yellow Jackets never had an advantage larger than five points.
The Diamondbacks (25-9) regrouped in game three despite coming dangerously close to allowing the Yellow Jackets (22-15) to come back late. Leading 21-19, Pioneer decided to call a timeout.
“We changed our game plan,” Pioneer senior libero Christina Ybarra said. “We tried talking more and more out on the court. We also started to read their hitters and their setters. Working together, believing in each other and talking a lot more helped us win.”
The win pushed Sharyland Pioneer into the area round for the fourth time in the program’s four-year history. The Diamondbacks, however, have yet to advance beyond the area round. This postseason, they’ll get a crack at San Antonio McCollum at a time and date to be determined.
“The girls know we’ve been stopped at the area round before,” Cavazos said. “We haven’t seen McCollum this year, but we’re just excited about the opportunity. We’re going to go into the gym the next couple of days, regain focus and make sure we find out how we can exploit our opponents’ weaknesses.”
“Everybody has the fire and the drive to want to go further,” Smith said. “I think that we’re ready to make history.”