By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Among the players who received two of the top honors on The Brownsville Herald’s 2017 All-Metro Volleyball Team are Rivera’s Kourtney Shears and Los Fresnos’ Isis Delgado.
Shears is the All-Metro Setter of the Year, while Delgado is the All-Metro Libero of the Year. Both are juniors.
Delgado was the All-Metro newcomer in 2015 as a freshman and the top defensive player for All-Metro as a sophomore last season.
Now she’s been named the top libero for All-Metro and on the 32-6A All-District Team.
“To me, it just shows that my hard work and dedication is paying off,” said Delgado, who this season led her team with 707 digs and 670 service receptions. “I’m really blessed to have people support me and help me get these awards.
“What I usually try to do every match is just be a team player and help the team stick together and play for God,” she added. “Everything starts off with a pass (after a serve reception), and these last three years (as a starter), I’m thinking that if I can make a good pass (after getting the serve), then I know I’ve done my job. I know everyone else has their own skills to contribute to make the play work so we can get a point. It starts with that pass (off the serve).
“(As a senior next season) the consistency of doing better in whatever is thrown at me is important. I know my teammates count on me to give them the first pass to keep the play going, so (greater) consistency (is what I’ll be striving for). I know now that anything you put your mind to can pay off. I appreciate everyone who has supported me and I’m always going to play for God because He’s given me this gift to play the sport that I love.”
For Shears, it’s been rewarding to see her teammates convert so many of her sets into points with their hitting. She led the Lady Raiders with 883 assists this season while contributing 299 digs, 89 kills and a team-best 52 serving aces.
“It was honestly amazing because even if I had an off set or a bad set, these girls could still find a way to hit it over the net, even the ones who play in the back row,” said Shears, who was also voted the top setter in 32-6A this season. “it was definitely awesome to have them as my hitters.
“It’s amazing (to be named a top setter),” Shears added. “But I do have to give it to (Rivera) Coach Liz (Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra) for working with me every day in practice and to my teammates for making my sets look good.
“I’d just like to say thank you to all of our team, to Coach Liz and to all of our coaches for a great season.”