By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Brownsville Rivera senior outside hitter Kenya Ibarra has solidified herself as one of the most complete volleyball players in the Rio Grande Valley throughout her career.
She had another superb season leading the Lady Raiders, recording 456 kills, 39 aces, 15 blocks and 242 digs. For the second consecutive season, Ibarra is The Brownsville Herald’s 2021 All-Metro volleyball most valuable player, adding to her illustrious resume. But the humble star credits all the success to those around her.
“It just means that my team really pulled through for me. I would never be able to do this without them,” Ibarra said. “I’ve been playing volleyball since I was about 8 years old, putting in many hours a week, playing six out of seven days a week. It was a lot but it was really, really worth it.”
Ibarra also repeated as the District 32-6A MVP. She carried the load for Rivera’s offensive attack, swinging frequently from the outside pin and putting away kills from all over the court. She also contributed well as a defender.
“Skill-wise, I think I’m most expected to play well as an outside hitter, but I don’t mind playing any position because all of it is volleyball and volleyball is what I love to do,” Ibarra said. “(Outside hitter is) a really high-expectation position so it’s a lot of anxiety I’d say, but having the teammates I do makes it really fun and it helps you grow up. …
“It’s been a struggle sometimes, but my teammates and my coach never put pressure on me. They always supported my decisions. They never made me do anything on my own.”
Rivera coach Liz Avelar-Guerra said Ibarra “has been the reason our program has been so successful for the last four years, leading in kills every year and also being an all-around player and captain for three years.” She’s a four-time bi-district champion and an undefeated district champion.
She’s knowledgeable, powerful and aggressive as a hitter, making her a versatile threat who can pound down a booming kill, place a well-timed tip or send a smart shot off a block or to an open spot.
But Ibarra’s ultimate goal wasn’t only to be the best player on the court, but the best leader. She wanted her teammates to feel supported and to “keep the environment positive” to foster success. And though she’s accomplished a lot, her best memories revolve around her teammates.
“It really is a family here, and you feel so much trust in the people around you and you feel you can do anything,” Ibarra said. “On the court, our memorable moments were just having each other’s backs, having somebody to high-five after a good hit or having somebody to hug when the game’s over. Those things stay with you.”
Ibarra hopes she left an example of confidence, humility and showing respect for one’s team with the Rivera program. She thanked the teammates she’s grown with since middle school, all her coaches and the loyal Lady Raiders fans for making her high school career what it was.
“I could not tell you one person specifically because there’s so many people out there that have supported me. My family, my teammates, my coaches, I can’t thank them enough,” Ibarra said. “I don’t know if I can find the words (to describe my career). It’s been the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had.”
Offensive Player of the Year
Katherine Elise Fourt
Junior, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
For the second season in a row, Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s powerful Fourt is the All-Metro offensive player of the year.
The middle blocker tallied 361 kills and a .319 hitting percentage and added 35 aces. She grew as a player in all phases of the game, but the thing that made the biggest difference to her improvement was her improved mental toughness.
“It feels amazing. I love getting this recognition, and I love how my team has helped me throughout these past few years. It’s just been getting better and better,” Fourt said. “I felt myself improve more in the back row and mentally. I was mentally stronger this year, and I was more involved with my team.”
Fourt is well-known as one of the top offensive pieces on a loaded Lady Chargers attack, therefore she often draws double blocks and extra defense. Her improved mentality and high volleyball IQ helped her make smart decisions and put down strong kills at a high clip.
“I used to have a really bad mindset, and it was really easy to shut me down. Now I’m mentally strong,” Fourt said. “I won’t let it get to me if I get blocked. I shake it off and ask for the ball again right after that one. You just have to keep going. If I see a big block, you work around it, you tip, you hit through it or tool off it. You work with what you get.
“Me and my setter work really well together, Paulina Ramirez. I want to give her a shoutout because I love her so much. She’s a really good setter and we connected in a different way this year, and it helped me execute and put the ball away.”
Fourt said one of her main goals this season was “leading and keeping everyone in line, helping everyone keep their heads up.” She knew the team was talented and wanted to be the person to lift others up when things went wrong.
After growing as a leader and player this season, Fourt now has her sights set on earning the ultimate All-Metro award next season.
“I want to thank (Brownsville Veterans coach Lisa Mares). She’s been a really great coach the last two years. And I want to thank Jackie Kingsbury. She came in at the very end of our season, and she really helped me with the amount of pressure that was put on me, helped me get through it,” Fourt said. “I’ve been offensive (player of the year) and I’m really glad and I love getting that, but I’m really going to try to be All-Metro MVP next season.”
Defensive Player of the Year
Andie Lozano-Lomeli
Sophomore, Brownsville Pace
During every Brownsville Pace volleyball match, the passion sophomore middle blocker Lozano-Lomeli plays with is undeniable.
After every big play, especially a block, she can be seen tucking her elbows into her sides, hands fisted with glee, eyes closed as she lets outs an excited yell and is greeted by teammates at midcourt. It’s an emotional response fans saw often as Lozano-Lomeli recorded a whopping 132 blocks during the 2021 season.
Lozano-Lomeli contributed dynamic defense at the net, helping the Lady Vikings in a number of ways as they finished second in District 32-5A. She is the All-Metro defensive player of the year.
“Getting this award means a lot to me because I’ve been putting in a lot of work all-around and it’s nice to be recognized. I’m feeling really good about it,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “I did a lot of work in club ball during the offseason. Give a lot of credit to (coach Daya Venegas). She came in this year and did a lot for this team, and she worked with me on everything, including my blocking skills.”
Some of the work Lozano-Lomeli did was focusing on being dynamic. She worked on footwork and taking bigger, stronger steps to cover more area at the net faster and to get more lift on her blocks. When Pace needed a stop, she made quick, smart reads and hustled to stuff even the best opposing hitters.
“I feel like the middle blocker’s job is kind of underrated,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “There’s a ton of components you have to think about. You think about where the set’s going, where the defense is, where to angle yourself, and you have to remember you’re the first line of defense. The defense behind you, you have to cover areas they can’t, so it’s important.”
Lozano-Lomeli said she feeds off the energy from her teammates and fans, and vice versa. She was driven to have a big season for the seniors this year, and her animated playing style and 388 kills helped Pace achieve that.
With two impressive seasons under her belt to start her Lady Vikings career, Lozano-Lomeli is looking for bigger things in the future. She’ll be doing the offseason work necessary to “improve all-around” and be even better next year.
“I want to give a lot of credit to my teammates and my coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do this. They keep me hype and keep me going,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “It’s nice to have a lot of support. Our fans this season were great. Having the support of my school really influenced the way we played.”
Setter of the Year
Clarissa Olivares
Senior, Brownsville Rivera
For three years, Olivares has been running the Brownsville Rivera offense as the sole setter in the Lady Raiders’ 5-1 setup.
She’s proven herself to have great control and knowledge of the game, and her work ethic has kept her improving not only as a setter, but as a defender and server throughout her career. As a senior this season, Olivares recorded 881 assists, 247 digs and 18 aces. She is the All-Metro setter of the year.
“It feels like a really good accomplishment for me,” Olivares said. “My sophomore year I did get it also, but I did share it. So finally getting it by myself is a big eye-opener to see how far I’ve come in this sport and how much work and effort I’ve put into each practice and each game.”
Olivares showcased her athleticism and body control at the net to execute jump sets to run a quick offensive attack and to save passes that carried too tight on the net. She had a knack for knowing when to dunk over the second touch, too, and recorded 31 kills.
The passion Olivares has for the sport was displayed by the consistent hustle she showed in every match. She delivered precise sets from all over the court, never giving up on an off-target pass.
“I felt like it was all on me. I put the game on me. If we won or lost, I would always look back at the mistakes I made or try to fix myself during the game,” Olivares said. “Knowing (the team) trusted me to make the decisions was great. Our bond helped us over the years, and them knowing who I was going to set or just being ready as hitters was amazing.”
Olivares credited the offseason training she did with club organizations RGV Volleyball and the Mission Volleyball Players Academy for aiding her improvement. She’s especially grateful for her Rivera coaches and teammates, who made her grow “not only as a player but as a captain.” The bond created within the Lady Raiders program was something she called unforgettable.
Mostly, she said the support she received from her family pushed her to become the top-notch player and setter she is today.
“A big, huge chunk of my thank you would go to my parents because they have always been with me, hearing me out when I am having trouble,” Olivares said. “My sister also, because she was the Hanna setter back in 2016, and she’s been my role model in this sport.”
Newcomer of the Year
Carmina Tijerina
Freshman, Brownsville St. Joseph
As a freshman, Tijerina earned a starting spot and immediately was an asset for the Brownsville St. Joseph Lady Bloodhounds.
The versatile and “dynamic little player,” as coach Dolores Olguin-Trevino said, notched 316 kills, 340 digs and a whopping 124 aces during the 2021 season. She made her presence known early in her career and is the All-Metro newcomer of the year.
“I feel really blessed and proud to receive this award,” Tijerina said. “This recognition means a lot to me since I’ve been putting so much effort and time to the sport I love.
“I’m very thankful, and I feel accomplished and motivated for my next years at SJA. Hard work always pays off.”
Tijerina experienced some early nerves as her high school career began by moving to a new school, but she found comfort on the volleyball court. She worked tirelessly to be better in a variety of positions, and her effort translated throughout the season. She believes she’s most effective on defense and as a passer.
“When I got to meet the girls in the volleyball team they made me feel welcomed, and I’m very grateful for them,” Tijerina said. “Since I started playing volleyball I’ve played different positions. I feel very confident in the court. I think what has helped is I’ve been practicing all year long, have discipline, being consistent and putting in 100 percent every day.”
Tijerina expressed her thanks to a number of people for helping her during the transition to a new school and to varsity volleyball. Her work ethic and passion give her a high ceiling as her SJA career continues.
“I want to thank my family for always supporting me, especially my dad who has been my coach ever since I started playing volleyball,” Tijerina said. “I’m very thankful for him because I wouldn’t accomplish anything without him and his assistant coach, my mom.
“I want to thank my grandparents for taking me to school every day and supporting me,” she continued. “Last, but of course not least, Coach Olguin. She has been a great coach and will always be for keeping me motivated, for always having positive things to say and always has a way to bring me up.”
Coach of the Year
Lisa Mares
Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Mares has been the woman in charge of the highly successful Brownsville Veterans Memorial program since its inception in 2010.
The Lady Chargers have improved every season and become a dominant group under her leadership. This season, Mares captured her 300th win, clinched her seventh district title with the program and has been tabbed the All-Metro coach of the year.
“I’m very humbled and grateful to be recognized,” Mares said. “This accomplishment is not solely based on my behalf, but that of our players, parents, fans, our offseason coaches and trainers, and especially my assistant coaches.”
Mares led the Lady Chargers to an undefeated District 32-5A championship and their 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs in 2021. An uncommonly high number of injuries left Mares constantly reworking the lineup and plugging young players into the starting roster. The extra challenges made their success more meaningful.
“I knew it was going to be tough because we didn’t have the experience, but I’m extremely proud of the girls’ perserverence, passion and strength that they displayed through all this adversity and how they came together even when we had missing pieces,” Mares said.
“Seeing them come together and accomplishing what we did was amazing,” she continued. “In the long run, the girls gained so much experience from this year, and myself as well, to keep pushing forward.”
Mares thanked the Brownsville Veterans parents and fans for the “great support and encouragement” they contributed all season. The intense matches the Lady Chargers played against Brownsville Pace had capacity crowds and were extremely memorable. She credited her former coach, Rivera’s Avelar-Guerra, for sparking the flame that grew into her incredible career.
Mares’ time with the Lady Chargers is complete since she’ll be relocating for personal reasons, but she’s proud of the way it ended.
“A person who helped me reach my potential and saw success for me professionally before I even saw it was coach Liz Guerra,” Mares said. “She’s been a true legend, teacher and friend, and she along with many other coaches have showed me to give 110 percent in all you do. That stuck with me. …
“Unfortunately, my time as coach will pause for a while,” she added. “It’s a sport that’s given me so much happiness and purpose. Coming into the season, I kind of knew it would be my last, so there was a lot more wanting it, but I couldn’t portray that. To end this way, it’s really special for me.”