KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — The Harlingen South Lady Hawks will have a clean slate in 2018. After a turbulent 2017, the Lady Hawks are ready to take the next step this season with a junior heavy squad. Along with some youthful swagger, South is in prime position to make some noise in 2018.
“We had the best summer ever, we had so many girls show up for strength and conditioning,” said South head coach Anissa Lucio. “The girls showed up and played well in the summer leagues, and I’m proud of them on what they did over the summer.”
Lucio, who is in her second year as head coach, has found her Lady Hawks ready to hit the ground running, and have a strong feel for the system in year two.
“We’re five steps ahead from where we were last year at the start of the season,” Lucio said. “We can focus more on certain drills and game like situations.”
The Lady Hawks have seven returning from last season, and all played a vital role while gaining experience against what was a brutal 32-6A district.
Last year the Lady Hawks went 4-10 in league play, and are setting their sights on the postseason for the first time since the 2011 season.
Junior setter Mya Aguirre is one key returning starter and is confident in the 2018 group.
“The experience helps us a lot, we have a young group of sophomores as well, and we all help each other,” Aguirre said. “Over the summer I worked on my strength that is something important, it helps when you’re on the court. I also worked on my serving and it improved. We have goals and we want to focus on district play first and then the playoffs.”
Fellow junior Mikela Mireles returns as one of the top hitters in the district and is poised for a bounce back year after tearing her ACL, MCL and Meniscus last fall.
“It’s exciting to be back on the court, it has been a long wait for me,” said Mireles. “I feel great and I’m glad to be back on the court playing.”
While the road to recovery was tough for Mireles who missed eight months of action, returned to the court over the summer and feels where she needs to be at the start of the season.
“Over the summer I was able to improve on how high I jump and my timing on the ball was another thing I needed to work on since coming back from the injury.”