By Roy Hess | The Brownsville Herald
The championship semifinals are set in the inaugural Saint Joseph Academy varsity volleyball tournament.
After earning victories during Friday’s opening day of the 11-team event, Saturday’s semifinal matchups have host SJA going against Jubilee Brownsville at 10:15 a.m. and Santa Maria facing San Isidro at 11:30 a.m.
The winners play at 5:45 p.m. Saturday for the tournament championship.
This is the first year the tournament is played. It was supposed to have been played a year ago at this time, but the threat of Hurricane Harvey canceled it.
Dolores Olguin-Trevino, SJA coach and tournament organizer, is glad to see the event finally being played, although she’s a little caught up in the events of the moment. She’s expecting a call at any time about the status of her pregnant daughter who is ready to give birth.
It will be her first grandchild.
“I’ve just been a little stressed getting ready for the tournament and being concerned about my daughter,” Olguin-Trevino said. “If I get that call (during the tournament that she’s giving birth), I’m sorry, I’m out of here. I’m asking her to hold off (on giving birth) until Sunday, but I’m afraid that might not work.”
SJA reached the tournament semifinals with victories Friday against Brownsville First Baptist (25-7, 25-9) and La Villa (25-9, 25-13).
“Our girls are meshing together better,” Olguin-Trevino said. “We’re a young team and the girls are coming together. I’m impressed with where we’re at right now at this point so early in the season.
“We have a ways to go yet, though,” she added. “We don’t start our (TAPPS) district until Sept. 18.”
Jubilee Brownsville was also a winner twice on Friday by defeating Port Isabel (25-20, 25-17) and Juan Diego Academy (25-9, 25-17).
In the other half of the championship bracket, San Isidro reached the semifinals with Friday’s wins against San Juan IDEA (25-5, 25-8) and San Perlita (25-21, 25-18).
Santa Maria advanced to its match in the semifinals against San Isidro by defeating Donna IDEA (25-18, 18-25, 15-11). The Lady Cougars received a bye in the second round and automatically advanced to their semifinal match on Saturday against San Isidro.
All of Saturday’s matches will be played in the gym next to the domed basketball gym on the SJA campus. The other gym site on campus is being used for SAT testing Saturday.
The tournament’s third-place match is scheduled at 3:15 p.m. and the consolation championship will be played at 4:30 p.m.