NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
The site of the final high school volleyball matches of the 2017 season will have one more marquee event to celebrate the season and honor the senior stars.
The Rio Grande Valley’s best players will convene Sunday afternoon at McAllen Rowe High School for the 16th annual Rio Grande Valley Volleyball Showcase.
Rowe’s Magda Canales will coach the 6A West group of girls. It’s fitting that one of the best coaches of the season will have the chance to lead some of her own Warriors, like Bianca Ramirez and Adriana Martinez, as well as district rivals such as La Joya’s Alexandra Alaniz and McAllen High’s Carter Helmcamp.
The 6A game takes place at 4 p.m., preceded by the 5A game at 2 p.m. and the sub-5A game at noon.
The showcase is an opportunity for seniors to play against local competition for the last time in high school before either playing at the collegiate level or moving on to the next stage of their lives.
“It’s very special,” Canales said. “That’s what the all-star team is about. For them to play their very last game at the high school level. I know it’s going to be emotional for some of them. Not only that, but the fact that you’re playing your last game with the best of the best in the Valley, it’s just a pretty good feeling. At this point, it doesn’t matter if they were rivals or not. Just the fact they were all together on one court.”
Canales is happy her campus will have the opportunity to host the showcase after hosting the 6A Region IV volleyball tournament in November.
“Rowe is always a good place to be playing volleyball,” Canales said. “Our gym is looking very, very good with the new renovations the bright colors that we have. I don’t know, it’s just a different atmosphere now at Nikki Rowe. Knowing that the regional tournament was played there, it gives our gym a different feeling.”
PSJA Memorial, which enjoyed its best volleyball season in program history, will send twins Kristi and Deserey Gomez to play for the 6A East team. That squad will be co-coached by San Benito’s Ruby Medina and Harlingen High’s Jocelyn Torres.
Highlighting the 5A teams is future Texas Tech Red Raider Audrey Smith of Sharyland Pioneer, who is joined with fellow Diamondbacks Mikayla Zimmerer, Brianna Ramos and Christina Ybarra. The trio will be led by their coach, Laura Cavazos.
Sharyland High will be represented by Caleigh Hausenfluck and Elise Townsend. Mission Veterans will send Thalia Espinoza and Dariana Garza.
Roslynn Ramirez from Mercedes and Megan Garcia of Donna will be 5A East representatives on a team loaded with Brownsville standouts such as Cassie Valdez and Kasandra Jimenez of Brownsville Veterans. Elizabeth Mares of Brownville Vets and Jacquelynn Touchet of Lopez will share coaching responsibilities.
In sub-5A, Progreso’s Sydney Alaniz, Viviana Zuniga and Hidalgo’s Janie Leal will play on the West squad and face the likes of La Villa’s Stephanie Bernal and Rio Hondo’s Bianca Cruz.
16th Annual Rio Grande Valley Volleyball Showcase
Class 6A
East Roster
Coaches: Ruby Medina, San Benito & Jocelyn Torres, Harlingen High
Crystal M. Ibarra, San Benito
Valerie Valdez, Weslaco East
Kristi Gomez, PSJA Memorial
Kayleen Rios, San Benito
Deserey Gomez, PSJA Memorial
Giselle Ibarra, Los Fresnos
Yazmine Martinez, Harlingen High
Stephanie Garza, Brownsville Rivera
Annelle Rodriguez, Harlingen South
Ryann Woods, Brownsville Hanna
Ashley Garza, PSJA North
Julissa Munivez, Harlingen High
Victoria Hernandez, PSJA Memorial
Victoria Zuniga, Brownsville Rivera
Litzy Medina, Brownsville Rivera
West Roster
Coach: Magda Canales, McAllen Rowe
Natalie Martinez, Edinburg High
Karina de la Rosa, McAllen Rowe
Emylia Espinosa, Edinburg Vela
Renee Alonso, McAllen Rowe
Carter Helmcamp, McAllen High
Tianna Howard, Edinburg High
Victoria Rogers, McAllen High
Alexis Farias, Mission High
Adrianna Martinez, McAllen Rowe
Karina Casanova, La Joya High
Norma Castillo, Edinburg Economedes
Alexandria Alaniz, La Joya High
Bianca Cortez, Edinburg Vela
Lexi Kruse, McAllen Memorial
Jazmine Campos, La Joya Palmview
Bianca Ramirez, McAllen Rowe
Class 5A
East Roster
Coaches: Elizabeth Mares, Brownsville Veterans & Jacquelynn Touchet, Brownsville Lopez
Georgina Fraga, Brownsville Lopez
Amanda Gomez, Brownsville Pace
Megan Garcia, Donna High
Miranda Garate, Brownsville Lopez
Melanie Morales, Donna North
Roslynn Rodriguez, Mercedes
Cassie Valdez, Brownsville Veterans
Jenna Rincon, Mercedes
Kasandra Jimenez, Brownsville Veterans
Cynthia Garcia, Brownsville Veterans
Kimberly Rodriguez, Donna North
Rebecca Cardenas, Brownsville Veterans
West Roster
Coach: Laura Cavazos, Sharyland Pioneer
Ashley Galarza, Edcouch-Elsa
Brianna Ramos, Sharyland Pioneer
Dariana Garza, Mission Veterans
Madeline Acevedo, Edcouch-Elsa
Caleigh Hausenfluck, Sharyland High
Diamantina Ramirez, Roma
Hunter Pena, Rio Grande City
Mikayla Zimmerer, Sharyland Pioneer
Elise Townsend, Sharyland High
Christina Ybarra, Sharyland Pioneer
Jacqueline Alvarado, Edcouch-Elsa
Marianna Canales, Roma
Melanie Lazos, Sharyland High
Thalia Espinoza, Mission Veterans
Audrey Smith, Sharyland Pioneer
Sub-5A
East Roster
Coach: Rebea Fraga, La Feria
Christina Rocha, Lyford
Bianca Ruiz, Rio Hondo
Claudia Mesa, Raymondville
Hannah M. Perez, Lyford
Iscela Bazaldua, Raymondville
Kirsten Kinney, San Perlita
Destiny Martinez, La Feria
Olivia Soliz, Port Isabel
Stephanie Bernal, La Villa
Sofia Alvarado, Lasara
Adriana Duran, Lyford
Daniella Olivarez, San Perlita
Carolina Guevara, Port Isabel
Myah Salas, La Feria
Milandra Bossolo, Brownsville St. Joseph
West Roster
Coach: Kay Dee Benavidez, Hidalgo
Sydney Alaniz, Progreso
Valerie Cavazos, Monte Alto
Kassandra Reyna, Santa Rosa
Jessica Villarreal, Santa Maria
Lorena Ayala, Santa Maria
Larissa Martinez, Grulla
Keana Ortiz, Santa Maria
Alyzza Garcia, Santa Maria
Ashley Arjona, Hidalgo
Janie Leal, Hidalgo
Viviana Zuniga, Progreso
Cheyenne Rodriguez, Santa Rosa
Jacqueline Salazar, Monte Alto
Mariah Contreras, Santa Rosa
Aiesha Velasquez, Santa Maria