NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — During Mission Veterans’ Class 5A Area match against Victoria West on Friday, the Patriots were locked in.
The team knew that if it could put a busy morning and uncertainty about their homecoming plans, just hours away, on the back burner everything would work itself out.
So, the Patriots did what they’ve done all season – make quick work of their opponents. They won in three sets; the closest game was a seven-point margin.
Senior captain Jackie Howell did her part to advance Mission Veterans to the third round against Flour Bluff. She led the match with 20 kills and tied fellow senior Makenzie Gerlach for the lead with 12 digs.
After the match, it was a race against the clock to make the two-plus hour trip down 281 from Bishop back to Mission then prepare for the homecoming festivities. Howell wasn’t just watching the game in the crowd, she was nominated for Homecoming Queen.
“That day was pretty hectic,” Howell said. “I woke up and it was the end of the six weeks so I had four or five tests in the morning before we had to leave at 10. We went to the game, we did really well. We finished in three then we drove back home, got ready. The girls were calling me that they were already letting people on the field (for the halftime show) and I was still at home getting ready.”
Volleyball in the Valley is normally played on Tuesdays and Saturdays and rarely forces student-athletes to choose between supporting their football team and playing, but the opposing team was looking for an avenue to get the Patriots off their game.
Howell knew her priorities: Volleyball first. Making it to the game in the nick of time and being there in person to accept the crown as queen was an added bonus on what’s been already been a special senior season.
Coach Diana Lerma was glad to that nothing came before this playoff run.
“After she won and I went to go congratulate her I asked her she felt,” Diana Lerma said. “She said the best thing I could feel was winning that game. Her biggest accomplishment was winning the (playoff) game. That’s good to hear because we have (tonight’s) game and we need to go through because our plans are to go to state.”
As Howell approaches 1,500 kills for her career and the team returns to the regional quarterfinals where they haven’t been in three seasons, it’s easy to see why this experience is second to none.
“We had a good team every year, but every year everything changes,” Howell said. “This year is probably the best. Everyone I grew up with is older now. We already passed the round we usually get knocked out at. I know we can go farther.”
Howell has grown up around volleyball, around the Patriots program, around the Lerma family and her cousin Kassy Lerma her entire life.
“When we were kids, everything was competition,” Kassy Lerma said. “Ever since we were small, we always had a volleyball with us so it’s always been compete, compete.”
Volleyball was a big part of her mother Sonia Trevino’s life. Trevino was a national player of the year at San Jacinto junior college and played two seasons at Florida State as the Seminoles went on to win the Metro Conference championship in 1989.
Trevino spoke to the Patriots before the postseason; since then Howell’s been wearing mom’s ring. It’s been a good-luck charm of sorts.
“Everybody sees it and they always remember I’m supposed to be having it,” Howell said. “If I’m not wearing it they’re like “Where’s your ring?”
The competitive nature that Howell brings is contagious and a powerful asset for a team that’s been strong all season and is hitting a peak confidence level.
The tools are in place for a special run.
On offense, the hitting trio of Gerlach, Howell and Lerma have been too much to handle so far. On defense, Bella Dominguez has been a strong libero to put up the first pass. Senior setter Valerie de la Fuente has been in the 30+ assist range, even in three-set wins.
“When (Howell) ups her game, we all want to do it together,” Kassy Lerma said. “When she does better, we all want to be level with her. The higher she, the higher we go. So she literally pushes us to do better.”