For three years, La Joya Palmview head coach Margo Iglesias-Cantu has told her volleyball team they would make the playoffs, but they never actually did.
Before the start of this season, her fourth at the helm, Iglesias-Cantu doubled down on her comment. This year, she said, she promised they would win postseason series.
It was a promise — a guarantee.
Then, word surfaced that there wasn’t going to be a volleyball season for ISD Palmview or any of the La Joya ISD schools. In fact, COVID-19 forced the schools to decide and announce they were bowing out of all fall sports. They were the first Valley school to make that commitment.
“I had to meet with the seniors,” Iglesias-Cantu said. “We were crying. I told them that I was sorry I lied to them and told them just to pray.”
Weeks later, the coaching staff and the team found out that their season was back on, even though it may be shortened. So, the work began.
Today, the Lobos will travel to play Gregory Portland at 7 p.m. at Falfurrias in the UIL Class 5A bi-district round of the playoffs.
Promise restored.
“Everything went by so fast. We had a week of practice and then our first district game,” Iglesias-Cantu said. “Every single game we focused on the team that was in front of us.”
The Lobos finished District 30-5A with a 6-4 record — good enough for the second seed and great enough to be the first Palmview team to advance to the postseason. The Lobos are also the first squad in the La Joya school district to make it to the playoffs, the last team (La Joya High) advancing in 1999, before Palmview and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln split off from La Joya High to make the three high schools.
Promise delivered.
The team clinched a playoff spot with one game remaining but coaches didn’t reveal that information to their team. With one match to go — against Roma — the Lobos can secure second seed with a victory. A loss would put them in a seeding matchup for third and fourth place.
“I wasn’t going to tell them, but right before the game (against Roma) we had gotten shirts for the girls and they had been asking what they were for,” Iglesias-Cantu said. “But I told them it was for Senior Night. Then the coaches came walking in with the actual shirts and they went crazy.”
The Lobos are made up of four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. Senior Daisy Rodriguez is their leading hitter and classmate Alejandra Hernandez is the team’s setter. Defensively, they are led by junior libero Aaliyah Garcia and 6-foot junior middle hitter/blocker Samantha Ramirez.
“We had six returners and three new girls this season,” Iglesias-Cantu said. “But what has separated them from all the other years is that none of them worry about who has the most hits or does what. When one person gets player of the game, they are all excited. The girls made friends with the new girls and they trust one another. If someone is down they bring them up.
“If they didn’t get along or weren’t able to get through this crazy season, we wouldn’t be where we are at right now. We’ve overcome a lot.”
This is the first high school coaching job for Iglesias-Cantu, who coached previously at the junior high level. She also played volleyball and basketball at La Joya High and continued to play college basketball in Kansas and Iowa. Now, she has at least one item crossed off her bucket list.
“It’s the best feeling from not having a season to this,” she said. “We’re thankful to have the opportunity to play. It may have been a shorter season, but it was one I’ve been stressed out the most. I’m excited for my team and getting this chance.
“Now, the goal is go get past bi-district.”