NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — During practices leading up to McAllen Rowe’s 2018 postseason, the gym was loud. The music blasted through the speakers, loud enough that the Jonas Brothers could be heard on the other side of the gym’s closed doors.
Still, the Warriors passed, set and hit like under normal conditions.
Coach Magda Canales didn’t want her team to rely only on communicating verbally. She wanted her players to trust that their teammates would be in the right spot.
McAllen Rowe volleyball is in a familiar spot, heading to the playoffs with plenty of steam from an intense district schedule. This time they are carrying a handful of first-time varsity players and a slew of underclassmen.
Rowe’s postseason journey will begin tonight at home against familiar opposition Laredo United.
This version of the Warriors is led by four seniors who have varying amounts of postseason experience, including Jackie Alanis, one of the Valley’s best hitters. The reigning Monitor Player of the Year has 869 kills (8.1 per set) to lead the offense, while Victoria Galindo leads the team in blocks with 129 total blocks and 123 solo blocks.
“The team is young,” Alanis said. “We have four seniors, everybody else is underclass. It has been tough, but as the season has gone on we have gotten better. We’ve had a few liberos and the libero (Marina Cortez) has been working so hard. She’s done so well, I want to give credit to her. She’s a sophomore and been doing so great. Our defense too, all our defense are underclass.”
Long-time Rowe bench boss Canales knew after most of the supporting cast graduated last year that it would be a tough road for Alanis, Galindo and company to bring the youngsters up to speed.
“It’s been an amazing experience with these girls, watching them develop from the very beginning,” Canales said. “I knew it was going to be a journey. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but with the seniors that I have leading the youth I knew we were going to be able to come through.”
Alanis’ intensity is hard to miss on the court, from the emphatic celebrations following her monstrous kills to visible frustration when the Warriors struggle.
The Warriors had another strong season by most metrics. Rowe went 32-11 overall and 11-3 in District 30-6A play. The green and gold won once against McAllen High the first time through district play, but then dropped the rest of the intra-city matches against the Bulldogs and Memorial Mustangs, including Saturday’s seeding game against McHi.
At times, some of the anger boils over and Alanis admits that those moments could cost the unit. As her senior season progressed she says those issues are hashed out face-to-face, as a team.
“After every game when we realized that the reason we lost was because we were fighting, we always sit down the next day and we talk to each other and we sort out problems,” Alanis said. “We come back to practice and we fix all the stuff. We both see what was said and we fix both things.”
Senior setter Jewel Palomo has had a front-row view to the team’s ups and downs. She returned to the team this season and had to adjust quickly as the primary setter for the team.
Palomo’s leadership role was complex. She had to learn the ropes herself, but also guide some of the younger, less experienced Warriors.
“Me coming in since I didn’t play the previous years I just need to talk to them, encourage (the underclassmen),” Palomo said. “Don’t go harsh on them, but encourage them to be better because we do see potential in them. What we have all learned is each player contributes to our team. What I’ve learned is you need each player, it’s not about one player, it’s about everybody.”
One player that has taken a big leap from a year ago is sophomore Anna Honrubia. She was on JV as a freshman but spent time practicing with the top group and traveled during the playoff run. Now she’s an important option on the attack.
“I was really close with a lot of the varsity players before I went on varsity so it was easy for me; they helped me a lot,” Honrubia said. She also has the advantage of playing and practicing alongside one of the area’s best players. “She’s (Alanis) been a mentor to me even before this season started. She wants me to get better; she tells me how to fix myself. I do look up to her as a player because she’s amazing.”
The Warriors mix of experience and youth will take center stage 6 p.m. Tuesday when Rowe welcome in District 29-6A’s second seed, Laredo United. Both teams have taken turns ending each others seasons for the past three years with the Warriors knocking out the Longhorns in 2017 on their way to the regional semifinal.