EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela’s Rebecca Cavazos signed her letter of intent Monday afternoon to play libero for the Central Methodist University Eagles volleyball team next season.
“I am in awe of what is going on right now because this is something that I have been dreaming of since I was about 12,” Cavazos said about her opportunity to play college volleyball. “I knew for a very long time I wanted to play college volleyball, and to be living in the moment finally is just really amazing.”
Cavazos signed on the dotted line in the Edinburg Vela SaberCats’ gymnasium in front of many family, friends, teachers, coaches and school administrators.
Her college recruiter, Ben Lopez, welcomed her with an official CMU baseball cap that she donned with a smile of joy as she realized the goal she set for herself so many years ago.
| Edinburg Vela senior Rebecca Cavazos is seen wearing her college baseball hat at her college signing celebration at Edinburg Vela High School in Edinburg on Monday. Cavazos received a scholarship to play libero at CMU next year. She helped lead the Edinburg SaberCats to two consecutive District 31-6A volleyball championships. |
Cavazos credited her support system beginning with her family, coaches and trainers who helped her get to where she is now.
Cavazos said she picked up a volleyball for the first time when she was in the second grade, and she entered the sport to have some fun and to get more playing time with her friends who were also involved.
She said she later realized how much fun and excitement the sport had to offer, and she discovered if she was good enough she could perhaps join traveling teams, a high school team and college team.
After joining club teams and working on her game, she joined the Edinburg Vela SaberCats volleyball team her junior year. She quickly adjusted and took over at the libero position and helped lead the team to two consecutive District 31-6A championships.
A libero is a player specialized in defensive skills, wears a contrasting jersey color from their teammates and cannot block or attack the ball when it is entirely above net height.
Now, Cavazos is ready to hit the road again next year to play for Central Methodist University in Missouri to compete in the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference. The team is ranked No. 12 in the nation by the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Final Top 25 Poll, and participated in the NAIA college championship volleyball playoffs.
“This is a very exciting day, and it is always a good thing when kids are looking to go play at the next level,” Edinburg Vela head coach Araceli Ortega said about Cavazos’ accomplishment. “It’s very challenging, it’s very rewarding and we know she is going to do a great job.”
Ortega said Cavazos joins a short list of athletes she has coached and who have gone on to play at the college level.
“You could tell she had the skill, and what she brought to the table was all her,” Ortega said. “We knew she had her training in her back pocket, and we are very proud of the athlete she has become.”
Ortega recalls several hustle plays Cavazos made during the course of two seasons with the SaberCats to keep the ball in play from digging a powerful spike, sacrificing her body to keep the ball in play that led to points.
“She will reach to try and get a ball, or not let it fly by her,” Ortega said. “It is those extra efforts she performs that make her a valuable player.”