By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
District 32-6A volleyball coaches believe their teams are entering the state playoffs well-prepared thanks to the high level of competition they faced during district competition.
The playoffs begin Monday.
Teams advancing to the postseason from 32-6A are district champion Los Fresnos along with Brownsville Rivera, Harlingen South and Brownsville Hanna.
Rivera and South finished tied for second place in 32-6A with 7-3 records behind 10-0 Los Fresnos. Rivera won a coin flip for the second-place seed in the playoffs from 32-6A.
Hanna defeated Harlingen High 26-24, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22 in a “play-in” match Friday at Hanna for the district’s fourth-place spot in the postseason.
Coaches from 32-6A are anxious to see how district play has prepared their squads for the postseason.
“ The teams are tough in this district, and anybody can win,” Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said. “We had to be ready to play every match because I know the other teams were ready for us. Whether we beat them or lost to them (previously), we needed to be ready. I had to make sure our girls understood that every time (we played a district match).
“ This district’s matches have been awesome to get ready for the playoffs,” Avelar-Guerra added. “It’s been good because the matches are very competitive and the girls for both teams go all out. They’ve been a perfect preparation because they’re hard matches, and that’s what you need.”
That sentiment is shared around the district.
“ Our district this year is very tough,” said South’s Mikela Mireles, a senior all-around player and standout hitter. “A win against anyone in our district is huge. It’s really prepared us for going to play teams from other districts.
“ I’m really proud of my team,” Mireles added. “We’ve really pulled it together.”
Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said it wasn’t easy going undefeated through 32-6A this season.
“ You have to be ready to play every match in this district,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who you play. Any of the teams can beat you if you let your guard down. I think it’s prepared us very well for the playoffs.”
Added Los Fresnos junior outside hitter Tate Halford, “We graduated 10 seniors from last year, so this is a totally different team (than the one that won district last season). Not many of us had played together before this season, and I’m so proud of how we’ve come together. We’ve bonded and come so far.
“ I think if we all keep working together and keep giving it 100 percent, even when we’re down, we can do amazing (in the playoffs) and continue to get better and better,” Halford added. “We just need to keep each other going with a positive attitude. We try to encourage each other and lift each other up. We’re trying to make a name for ourselves (since the team’s past standouts have graduated).
“ We’re just trying to play our game and play our best to make a name for Los Fresnos.”
The Class 6A bi-district playoffs begin Monday with Rivera playing at 6:30 p.m. at District 31-6A third-place Edinburg High.
The other 32-6A teams play their bi-district matches Tuesday.
The schedule for those matches involving 32-6A teams at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday has Los Fresnos at 31-6A fourth-place Weslaco High, South at home against 31-6A runner-up Edinburg North and Hanna at 31-6A champion Edinburg Vela.
In District 32-5A, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Edcouch-Elsa finished as co-champions. They played a playoff seeding match Saturday in Elsa. Brownsville Veterans won in five games to take 32-5A’s top seed in the playoffs. The Lady Chargers will play host to PSJA Southwest, the fourth-place team from District 31-5A, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for bi-district.
Besides Brownsville Veterans and E-E, the other two playoff teams from 32-5A are Donna High and Mercedes.
Another local team in the playoffs is Brownsville Jubilee, the winner of District 32-3A with an 18-0 record. The Lady Titans, whose captains are Fernanda Bannak and Julissa Garza, are 30-4 on the season.
It’s Jubilee’s first year playing in 32-3A.
The second round of the playoffs continue later next week.