NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — The gym at McAllen High School was packed on an early September afternoon, which could only mean one thing: the start of district play in the most competitive district in the Valley, 30-6A.
The defending district champs McAllen Rowe took the first step toward a repeat title, knocking off crosstown rival McAllen High. The Warriors dropped the first set but quickly rebounded and never looked back, winning 27-29, 25-9, 25-20, 25-21.
McAllen Rowe’s Jackie Alanis took matters into her own hands for most of the match. She led the match in kills with 39 and also filled the stat sheet with 24 digs, four aces, a pair of blocks and an assist.
Even when everyone in the gym knew her powerful spikes were coming, the Bulldogs couldn’t combat her offense.
Alanis, a senior committed to Nicholls State University and last season’s All-Area Player of the Year for The Monitor, is no stranger to the rivalry.
“It was such a big win, because it was our first district game, and it was our rivals, McHi,” Alanis said. “We thought of it like, ‘It’s our first district game. We should win our first district game. They shouldn’t. We want it more than them. We’re better than them. We know we can work better than them.’”
Things were looking up for McHi after one set. The Bulldogs trailed early but stormed back to overtake the Warriors 29-27 in the opening set.
Rowe wasn’t deterred. Senior middle blocker Victoria Galindo said her group rode the electric atmosphere.
“We had to come together and know that energy in this game was most important. So, as long as our energy was high, we weren’t letting a point break us down at all,” Galindo said. “It’s the best type of game ever. We love the crowd. We love the energy. Once we had a lead, we took it and ran with it.”
Jewel Palomo was the top setup artist for Rowe with 34 assists. Anna Honrubia earned 15 kills of her own, plus 14 digs, while Galindo led the way on defense with seven blocks.
“We came into this game knowing that defense is going to be most important,” Galindo said. “Being up there and putting our hands and blocking down.”
Alanis ended the second set on a tear. She recorded consecutive aces and served the final four times to secure the 25-9 win. She went on to get 11 kills in each of the third and fourth sets.
Lexi Gonzalez paced the Bulldogs with 23 kills and 11 digs, but the home side often gave Rowe and Alanis free balls to attack.
Alanis, whose team fell in the semifinals of McHi’s Poundfest tournament in the same gym, said the Warriors would have reached the final if they would have been able to go through the hosts.
“I always thought that we could beat McHi, but at Poundfest, they put themselves on the easy side of the bracket, and they made us play against Memorial,” Alanis said. “If we would have played them, they would go out. So that’s what they get for not playing against the hardest team. That’s what they get, and they lost.”
Veteran Warriors coach Magda Canales didn’t delve into the bracketology of the tournament but said her group of mostly first-time varsity athletes has been coming together since the start of the season.
“This game proved to the kids, our kids, that even though we didn’t come in with a lot of varsity experience, they can do it,” Canales said. “They proved it.”