Laredo Martin put an end to Mission Veterans’ nine-plus year undefeated district winning streak in convincing fashion Tuesday in Laredo with sweep of the Patriots. The win put the Tigers in a tie atop the District 30-5A race with the Patriots at 7-1 with just two games remaining in the regular season.
Vets’ long win streak began in 2012, and the Patriots were 7-0 in district and had defeated the Tigers twice this year, two sets to none in the Mission ISD Tournament and then 3-1 on Oct. 2 at home.
In that match, Vets’ Rylie Barnett slammed away 23 kills at a .228 hitting percentage while getting help from Jacqueline Nino with 11 kills and Carla Guerrero with eight.
Melanie Duron paced Martin with 21 kills in that first match but received little to no help offensively as Mission Vets tallied 50 kills to Martin’s 32.
It was the senior Duron once again Tuesday who led the team with 19 kills on a whopping .325 hitting clip in avenging the previous loss.
Martin (24-8, 7-1) plays at La Joya Palmview at noon today and concludes its regular season at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Rio Grande City. The Tigers swept both opponents the first time through district play. Mission Veterans (28-8, 7-1) travels to Rio Grande City for a noon matchup today before coming home for its regular-season finale at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Laredo Cigarroa. The Patriots swept RGC the first time they met and won 3-1 against Cigarroa.
The two teams could end up playing a tiebreaker at a neutral site decided by the two coaches sometime next week if they remain tied for first.
CELEBRATING A MILESTONE
The Patriots still have plenty to celebrate, despite the one setback. Longtime head coach Diana Lerma reached her 700th win during the regular season and the school plans to celebrate with former players and others after Tuesday’s game against Cigarroa.
Lerma has been with the program since its beginning in 2002 and missed half of the 2016, and all of the 2017, due to a reassignment. Upon her return, however, it was back to normal for one of the most dominant programs in South Texas. Mission Veterans has won 16 of 19 district titles since the program’s inception and is looking for No. 17 this season.
Lerma’s first 60 wins came during three years as the head coach of La Joya High School from 1996-98.
DISTRICT CLASHES
With only two games remaining in the regular season, there’s still a lot up in the air. Here are some of the district scenarios:
District 31-6A. The top four teams are pretty much set, though nothing is confirmed as far as who will end where. PSJA High is on top with a 13-1 record in district and is clearly in charge of its own destiny. The Bears have games today against Edinburg North, in fourth place at 10-4, and a regular-season finale against Edinburg High on Tuesday. The Bobcats are 13-2 and have an off day today, giving them more time to prepare for that finale. PSJA High swept the first matchup between the district’s top two squads at home.
District 31-5A. Sharyland High is all but mathematically out of the playoffs in possibly the toughest district in South Texas. But, like District 31-6A, there’s still the possibility of a lot of movement as the top teams fight for playoff position.
The Rattlers are 30-13 overall and 6-6 in district and two games behind McAllen High (34-6, 8-4) for the fourth and final playoff spot. McHi won the first matchup at home in five sets. The two teams battle today at Sharyland High.
McAllen Memorial (28-13, 10-2) travels to McAllen Rowe (29-7, 9-3) for a noon matchup. The Mustangs are tied with Sharyland Pioneer atop the district but a win by Rowe would put Rowe and Memorial in a district tie for third place. A Memorial win puts Rowe and McHi in a tie for third place if McHi defeats Sharyland.
It looks as if it will all come down to Tuesday as Memorial and Sharyland Pioneer play each other in their regular-season finale. The Diamondbacks are also 10-2 in district and 33-4 overall. The two district losses both came at the hands of Rowe, which twice swept Pioneer.