By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Brownsville Rivera coach Mary Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra describes her standout outside hitter Kenya Ibarra as multi-faceted.
The junior shines in the front row, using her heavy swing to put down booming kills that reverberate around the gym, and the combination of her height and strong hands to block opponents with ease. And while some taller athletes don’t play in the back row, Ibarra takes on that challenge and thrives on defense, too.
Ibarra is an every-rotation player for the Lady Raiders, and during the 2020 season she accumulated 225 kills, 141 digs, 19 blocks and 14 aces to lead her team in a historic campaign that included an undefeated District 32-6A championship and a bi-district victory. Her impressive contributions in all facets of the game earned Ibarra The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro volleyball most valuable player award.
“It feels good, really good. This is what I’ve been dreaming about since I was an eighth-grader,” Ibarra said. “(This award) means that the hard work my teammates and myself put in paid off. With their support and my coaches, I was able to do this. It was a blessing just to be able to have a season and for my team to come together as one on the court.”
Avelar-Guerra has watched Ibarra’s progression in the sport since Ibarra was a 5-year-old playing and winning in the Brownsville city leagues with her daughter. The coach is excited to have another year to help Ibarra’s development as the two work to get the outside hitter an opportunity to play in college. She believes Ibarra’s versatility and work ethic have carried her this far and will continue to do so.
“Kenya is an awesome player, she really stands out and she really deserves this,” Avelar-Guerra said. “She knows how to hit, she knows how to adjust, and she plays defense well. I can put Kenya front row, back row, she can hit, she can dig, she can serve, she can set. She has all the tools to play all the way around, and I’m not afraid to put her in any situation. Every single skill there is in volleyball, she can do it.”
Though Ibarra excels in many facets of the game, nothing compares to “that rush of adrenaline when you get a kill” for the junior. But her favorite part of the game isn’t an individual aspect. She said the best thing about volleyball is celebrating with her teammates center-court after someone makes a big play.
The team bond the Lady Raiders have is something Ibarra said she noticed and has loved since she first joined the varsity squad as a freshman. In 2020, the Lady Raiders came together even more, all focused on making the most of the limited number of games they played. Ibarra credits the team’s passion and continuity for all the collective and individual success it achieved this season.
“I think this year everybody pushed a lot harder,” Ibarra said. “Any win that we had, any time we stepped on the court was special to all of us. Everybody put their heart into every single game, so every time we stepped off the court I knew we put every ounce we had into every single play.”
The Brownsville Herald’s 2020 All-Metro Volleyball Team
Most Valuable Player
Kenya Ibarra, jr., Brownsville Rivera
Offensive Player of the Year
Elise Fourt, so., Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Defensive Player of the Year
Richelle Guerra, so., Brownsville Rivera
Setter of the Year
Brenda Savariego, sr, Brownsville Lopez
Newcomer of the Year
Dakota Martinez, so., Los Fresnos
Coach of the Year
Mary Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra, Brownsville Rivera
First Team
Ana Cano, Brownsville Pace; Aliyah Castillo, Brownsville Hanna; Elise Esparza, Brownsville St. Joseph; Christina Garza, Brownsville Rivera; Tate Halford, Los Fresnos; Victoria Hernandez, Los Fresnos; Andie Lozano-Lomeli, Brownsville Pace; Valeria Sumaya, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Second Team
Lluvia Arellano, Brownsville IDEA Riverview; Sarah Gomez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Alma Medellin, Brownsville IDEA Frontier; Natalia Montemayor, Brownsville St. Joseph; Clarissa Olivares, Brownsville Rivera; Andrea Perez, Brownsville Porter; Alexis Robinson, Brownsville Jubilee; Noelia Ruiz, Brownsville Lopez