BROWNSVILLE — The Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets might as well have stayed on the bus for the first set of a pivotal District 32-5A meeting Saturday against Brownsville Lopez.
Yellowjackets head coach Gloria Trevino made accommodations for the Yellowjackets to show up closer to game time so they would not become sluggish waiting for subvarsity matches to finish, she said.
“Obviously, it did not work for us,” Trevino said while laughing.
Staring at the possibility of going down two sets and becoming engulfed by the district’s playoff hopefuls, E-E woke up.
The Yellowjackets put the first set behind them by coming back and winning a hard-fought second set and eventually defeating the Lobos 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-21.
“We had better practice this week,” Trevino said. “They came in there with a plan, they prepared and they accomplished.”
Both teams came into the match 9-5 in District 32-5A and suffering recent losses. Brownsville Lopez had dropped three straight matches, and E-E lost back-to-back matches against playoff hopefuls.
The Yellowjackets are now 10-5 and have some breathing room in the playoff race.
“Definitely, important because we only have three games left,” Trevino said. “It is going to be up to them, but realizing they could beat Brownsville Lopez puts us in third.”
The Lobos defeated the Yellowjackets in the first meeting. The loss Saturday moves Brownsville Lopez to fourth place at 9-6 and looking over its shoulder at the surging Brownsville Porter Cowgirls.
The Cowgirls defeated Harlingen South in four sets Saturday and are now 8-7 in district.
“It is a mental thing right now, it really is,” Lobos head coach Cynthia Wareham said. “The technique is there. They know what they need to do. It is just a matter of putting it all together and believing in themselves.
“We have to fight hard these last three games in order to keep our playoff spot.”
Yellowjackets senior Vida Ybarra finished the match with 26 kills and 19 digs. Senior libero Brianna Lumbreras had 21 digs, and freshman Lylah Gonzalez had 36 assists with 21 digs.
Lobos senior Kassandra Aguirre had 12 assists and seven kills. Senior libero Kayla Aguilar had 17 digs, and Paula Lopez finished with six kills and six blocks from the middle.
E-E is slated to face Donna High at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home. The Lobos travel to Harlingen in their next match to take on the Hawks at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Harlingen South.