Tuesday, Nov. 10
Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal
McAllen Memorial def. Los Fresnos 25-22, 25-17, 25-16
McAllen Rowe def. Laredo United 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-18

Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal
Victoria West def. Mission Veterans Memorial 25-23, 25-14, 14-25, 19-25, 15-12

Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal
Corpus Christi London def. San Perlita 25-6, 25-10, 25-8

Thursday, Nov. 12
TAPPS 1A State Semifinal
Juan Diego Academy def. Bellville Faith Academy 25-9, 25-11, 25-17

Friday, Nov. 13
Class 6A Regional Semifinal
San Antonio O’Connor def. McAllen Memorial 22-25, 25-14, 25-15, 24-26, 15-12
New Braunfels Canyon def. McAllen Rowe 25-23, 25-23, 26-24

Saturday, Nov. 14
TAPPS 1A State Final
Juan Diego Academy def. Lubbock All Saints Episcopal 25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-21

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McAllen Memorial took Game 1 of its Class 6A regional semifinal match against San Antonio O’Connor but ultimately fell 22-25, 25-14, 25-15, 24-26, 15-12 on Friday in San Antonio.

Coach Lorena Lopez said the Lady Mustangs were able to catch the Lady Panthers off guard with a fast-paced attack to middles Lanie Nitsch and Draik Banks.

“The girls came out aggressive, and that was one of the things we talked about going in,” Lopez said. “We needed to get a jump on this match.”

O’Connor took control in the second and third games, and Lopez said the Lady Panthers’ defense was the biggest factor, forcing the Lady Mustangs into errors after long points.

A strong defensive effort brought Memorial back in the fourth set, but after a back-and-forth start to the fifth, O’Connor pulled away to secure the win and end the Lady Mustangs’ run.

“Of course they were upset and crying,” Lopez said. “’It’s understandable you’re upset. You worked hard, and you fought hard, and you came up short.’ But I told them to be proud of themselves.”

NEW BRAUNFELS CANYON 3, McALLEN ROWE 0: The Lady Warriors kept it close in every game but ultimately fell 25-23, 25-23, 26-24 in their Class 6A regional semifinal.

“They had very powerful hitters, and our blockers needed to have adjusted a little bit sooner in the game,” Rowe coach Magda Canales said. “We struggled, but at the same time, the game was back and forth, back and forth, with either team having no more than a 3-point run or a 4-point run at any given time.”

Canales said Rowe lost a few points to tight officiating in the setting game and also had to make an adjustment after losing libero Kayla Cruz to injury during the second set. Sophie Luna and Amanda Martinez managed to fill the void, Canales said.

“It took us a little while to adjust, but these girls stepped it up,” Canales said. “They saw the need, and we just kept fighting. It’s just that tonight, we met a more powerful team.”

Canales said seniors Luna, Ryela Rodriguez and reigning All-Valley Player of the Year Mayda Garcia were Rowe’s standouts on Friday.

“I told the girls that I was very proud of their accomplishments,” Canales said. “This was something the seniors had set their mind to do and carried on to the rest of the team. I told them they were leaving a legacy for Nikki Rowe.”

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — As McAllen Memorial huddled for its halftime prayer, trailing by 7 to Laredo United South and staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs, senior linebacker Sam Hinojosa thought back to the halftime prayer of last season’s bi-district game.

Hinojosa remembered the feeling — Memorial’s motto this season — of how Del Rio ran away in the second half, handing the Mustangs an early exit from the playoffs.

“Emotions got high at that point for me,” Hinojosa said. “I just said, ‘That’s not going to happen this season. We just turned it around, and came out fighting.’”

Laredo United South led the majority of the game before Memorial’s Trevor Speights scored with 7:46 to play in the fourth quarter, lifting the Mustangs to a 27-24 win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The playoff win was the first for every player on the Memorial roster.

“It’s a good feeling, man. I can’t even process right now, I’m so emotional,” Speights said. “I’ve been grinding hard these past four years and never got one, so it’s good to finally get one.”

Speights was again the star on offense for Memorial, rushing 21 times for 262 yards and three touchdowns. The rest of the team combined for 27 yards of offense.

With three touchdowns, Speights pushes his career total to 115, a Valley record. He also improves his single-season total to 49, also a Valley record.

After Memorial fell behind 21-7 in the second quarter on a blocked punt that Laredo United South recovered for a touchdown, Speights started playing more on defense.

When United South tried a fake field goal down 27-24 with just more than two minutes to play, Speights broke up the pass. Four players later, he rolled a 63-yard punt down to the 1-yard line with less than a minute to play, all but clinching the win. Speights said he had practiced punting before, but only twice.

“I’m an athlete, so I try to work on all phases of my game and be able to do everything whenever I need to,” Speights said.

On the final snap of the night, United South quarterback Jesse Garza lobbed a pass deep down the middle of the field that Hinojosa bobbled, then intercepted.

After he slid to the turf to end the game, Hinojosa almost immediately popped back up, jumping and holding the ball over his head with two hands as teammates mobbed him on the field.

“I could only see 10 or 15 guys, but I knew 50 guys were on top of me right there,” Hinojosa said. “It was just an amazing feeling to know that the whole team was rallying around me. I’ve never felt anything quite like that. For a second there, I couldn’t breathe.”

United South gave Memorial a far stiffer test than they’d faced all season. Previously, the Mustangs had won every game by at least 19 points.

Memorial coach Bill Littleton said United South was able to match Memorial’s physicality along the line of scrimmage, and that the Panthers’ offensive line “might’ve whipped” the Mustangs’ defensive front.

For the game, United South outgained Memorial 309 to 289.

“We hadn’t seen that very much this year,” Littleton said. “They manhandled us about as much as we manhandled them. It was a battle.”

After Memorial scored first, United South scored 21 unanswered to build a 21-7 lead with 10:19 to play in the second quarter.

Emilio Mendez punched in a 1-yard score for Memorial to make it 21-14 entering halftime. After a United South field goal, Speights scored twice in the second half to give Memorial the 27-24 lead.

The Panthers had two chances at field goals of about 45 yards during the fourth quarter, but missed one left and opted for an unsuccessful fake on another.

Memorial will play its area round game at 7:30 p.m. next Friday on the road against Harlingen High.

Having earned their elusive first-round playoff victory, the Mustangs have a new motto. As the team broke the postgame huddle, they all shouted, “December football,” meaning a trip to the fourth round of the playoffs.

“’Remember the feeling’ is behind us,” Littleton said. “It’s ‘December football’ now. That’s where we’re headed.”

[email protected]

Speights, Memorial survive scare to earn first playoff win since 2011

BY GREG LUCA

STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — As McAllen Memorial huddled for its halftime prayer, trailing by 7 to Laredo United South and staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs, senior linebacker Sam Hinojosa thought back to the halftime prayer of last season’s bi-district game.

Hinojosa remembered the feeling — Memorial’s motto this season — of how Del Rio ran away in the second half, handing the Mustangs an early exit from the playoffs.

“Emotions got high at that point for me,” Hinojosa said. “I just said, ‘That’s not going to happen this season. We just turned it around, and came out fighting.’”

Laredo United South led the majority of the game before Memorial’s Trevor Speights scored with 7:46 to play in the fourth quarter, lifting the Mustangs to a 27-24 win on Friday at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The playoff win was the first for every player on the Memorial roster.

“It’s a good feeling, man. I can’t even process right now, I’m so emotional,” Speights said. “I’ve been grinding hard these past four years and never got one, so it’s good to finally get one.”

Speights was again the star on offense for Memorial, rushing 21 times for 262 yards and three touchdowns. The rest of the team combined for 27 yards of offense.

With three touchdowns, Speights pushes his career total to 115, a Valley record. He also improves his single-season total to 49, also a Valley record.

After Memorial fell behind 21-7 in the second quarter on a blocked punt that Laredo United South recovered for a touchdown, Speights started playing more on defense.

When United South tried a fake field goal down 27-24 with just more than two minutes to play, Speights broke up the pass. Four players later, he rolled a 63-yard punt down to the 1-yard line with less than a minute to play, all but clinching the win. Speights said he had practiced punting before, but only twice.

“I’m an athlete, so I try to work on all phases of my game and be able to do everything whenever I need to,” Speights said.

On the final snap of the night, United South quarterback Jesse Garza lobbed a pass deep down the middle of the field that Hinojosa bobbled, then intercepted.

After he slid to the turf to end the game, Hinojosa almost immediately popped back up, jumping and holding the ball over his head with two hands as teammates mobbed him on the field.

“I could only see 10 or 15 guys, but I knew 50 guys were on top of me right there,” Hinojosa said. “It was just an amazing feeling to know that the whole team was rallying around me. I’ve never felt anything quite like that. For a second there, I couldn’t breathe.”

United South gave Memorial a far stiffer test than they’d faced all season. Previously, the Mustangs had won every game by at least 19 points.

Memorial coach Bill Littleton said United South was able to match Memorial’s physicality along the line of scrimmage, and that the Panthers’ offensive line “might’ve whipped” the Mustangs’ defensive front.

For the game, United South outgained Memorial 309 to 289.

“We hadn’t seen that very much this year,” Littleton said. “They manhandled us about as much as we manhandled them. It was a battle.”

After Memorial scored first, United South scored 21 unanswered to build a 21-7 lead with 10:19 to play in the second quarter.

Emilio Mendez punched in a 1-yard score for Memorial to make it 21-14 entering halftime. After a United South field goal, Speights scored twice in the second half to give Memorial the 27-24 lead.

The Panthers had two chances at field goals of about 45 yards during the fourth quarter, but missed one left and opted for an unsuccessful fake on another.

Memorial will play its area round game at 7:30 p.m. next Friday on the road against Harlingen High.

Having earned their elusive first-round playoff victory, the Mustangs have a new motto. As the team broke the postgame huddle, they all shouted, “December football,” meaning a trip to the fourth round of the playoffs.

“’Remember the feeling’ is behind us,” Littleton said. “It’s ‘December football’ now. That’s where we’re headed.”

[email protected]

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — All week, McAllen Memorial linebacker Sam Hinojosa has been hearing the same thing from friends, parents, students, teachers, and even some of his teammates.

On the heels of Memorial’s dominating 10-0 run through the regular season, many of the Mustang faithful are already setting their sights on regionals.

But Hinojosa knows better. He’s focused on the team’s Class 6A Division I bi-district opener against Laredo United South at 7:30 tonight at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The lesson is one Hinojosa and Memorial learned the hard way last year, when a nine-game winning streak came to a surprisingly early end at the hands of Del Rio in the bi-district round — the Mustangs’ third consecutive first-round playoff exit.

“They keep saying, ‘I can’t wait until we all go to San Antonio,’” Hinojosa said. “Well, we can’t go to San Antonio if we don’t beat United South. … If anyone ever tells me anything about, ‘I saw the brackets, this team is in this region.’ I don’t care. I don’t know who you’re talking about right now.”

Hinojosa is living by the Mustangs motto for 2015: ‘Remember the feeling.’ The expression was born from all the emotion that came with 2014’s outstanding regular season and unsatisfactory conclusion.

Senior quarterback Jonathan Sanchez said the Mustangs look back to that disappointment to remind them of the volatility of the postseason. Still, the message has been a tough one to get through to some of the team’s younger varsity players.

“They’re, ‘I have two more years left, I have three more years left,’” Sanchez said. “I remember saying that when I was a sophomore. … Every single year, the older kids, seniors, say, ‘All of you sophomores, take advantage.’ You never truly understand what that means until you become a senior.”

Even the Mustangs’ seniors are trying to minimize the pressure on this week’s game, not deviating at all from the game-week formula that helped the team get to 10-0.

Sanchez said he doesn’t feel any added burden, only confidence. He hasn’t even considered the possibility that tonight’s game could be his last.

“For some reason, I just feel like I have another game left,” Sanchez said. “I have three more games left. I just don’t think this is going to be the last one.”

Memorial’s offense has earned that confidence this season, ranking as one of the most prolific attacks in Valley history.

The Mustangs have racked up 60 points per game, and their smallest margin of victory this season is a 19-point win against San Benito in Week 3.

Even with a shutout loss this week, Memorial would rank as the highest-scoring offense per game in Valley history, holding a comfortable edge on the 2013 Sharyland High team that averaged 52.23 points per game.

“To be honest, it’s a little short of what we thought,” Sanchez said of the Mustangs’ production. “Curtains close for us around third quarters throughout the whole regular season, sometimes at halftime. So it’s not really a surprise for us.”

Despite the success, the Mustangs’ goal for the postseason is no different than at the start of every year: to be the best team in Memorial history.

Coach Bill Littleton said the only way to prove that is to win 13 games and advance to fourth round, both of which would be program firsts.

Hinojosa said he thinks the Mustangs have the tools to get there, but it starts with bi-district. A first-round playoff loss would nullify everything the team has accomplished to this point.

“The 10-0 season is going to go wasteful if we go 10-1,” Hinojosa said. “If we go 10-1, we might as well have not even played this year.”

None of the players in Memorial’s program have won a playoff game, losing to Harlingen High in 2012 and 2013 before being upset by Del Rio last season.

For all running back Trevor Speights has accomplished, setting the Valley’s career rushing record with 9,464 yards and last week tying the career touchdowns record with 112, he’s never won a playoff game.

What would it feel like if Memorial was to come up short tonight? What if one of the most prolific players in the history of Texas high school football finishes his career without a playoff win? Speights shrugs off the idea.

“We’re going to get it done on Friday,” Speights said. “There’s no if.”

[email protected]

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

When senior and key cog Deanna Spear went down in late September with a season-ending injury, Sophia Luna said the McAllen Rowe volleyball players looked at each other in practice and thought, “Oh my goodness.”

For the second straight season, Spear had been splitting the setting duties with junior Vanessa Lopez. But after the injury, Lopez would have to handle the role on her own, playing all six rotations as Rowe moved from a 6-2 offense to a 5-1.

“I felt challenged, but I really felt that I could overcome it,” Lopez said. “I really wanted to show everyone that it’s fine. I can go out there, and I can do it. No matter what problems we go through, we can overcome them. It was a great opportunity.” Lopez rose to the occasion, a primary reason Spear’s injury never derailed Rowe’s trip to a Class 6A regional semifinal match against New Braunfels Canyon at 8 tonight in the Alamo Convention Center in San Antonio.

Rowe’s match will follow the Valley’s lone other regional semifinal. McAllen Memorial is set to face San Antonio O’Connor at 6.

“When Deanna went down, it was a tremendous role that Vanessa needed to take,” Rowe coach Magda Canales said. “She knew that she needed to carry the team by herself, and she didn’t think twice. She didn’t look back. She saw that she needed to do this for the team, and she took care of business.”

The transition was no small shift. After typically playing only three of the rotations and subbing out for a bigger player in the front row, Lopez needed to be in for the Lady Warriors on every point.

Lopez admits she felt some extra pressure, knowing Rowe didn’t have any other setters to spell her off the bench.

“It was like, ‘OK Vanessa, we’re playing 5-1. Can you last all of these games?” Luna said. “And she took the challenge quite well. Of course, it wasn’t easy at first, but she’s come a long way in her defense and setting overall.”

In the unusual position of having to play defense on the front row, Lopez said she had to focus heavily on her blocking.

During drills in practice, she said she would sometimes ask to switch out of the setting role so she would have more time to work on her play at the net.

On offense, she had to learn to set to the entire roster of hitters, rather than just the group she lined up with during her previous rotation.

“We were worried of who is going to take (Spear’s) spot, or how the other girls would react, but we adjusted very well,” senior Mayda Garcia said. “(Lopez) puts the sets where we want them. She’s been amazing at her job. I’m so thankful that she’s been there and never given up on us.”

Hitting off sets from Lopez for a second consecutive season, Garcia said she sees a more confident player, and that their chemistry has improved.

An offseason of summer camps and work with club teams has made Lopez a stronger technical player, and with time she’s seen herself earn the trust of her teammates. Before anyone calls the play, she and the hitters already know what they’re running.

“A lot of the girls, especially the older girls, really respect me now,” Lopez said. “They say, ‘You’re the leader out there. You’re going out there and taking over the team, and running the offense really well.’ It’s something I haven’t noticed. I just do it.”

Rowe will need the confidence and leadership of those experienced players tonight as it tries to surpass the round of the playoffs that has typically proven to be a roadblock for Valley teams.

The biggest edge the Lady Warriors have is that six players on the varsity roster have been to this stage before, in a three-game loss to San Antonio Churchill in 2013. They’ve seen the height of the opposing players and the speed of the offenses that they run.

Luna called the first experience overwhelming, and Lopez acknowledged that Rowe is the underdog. But the Lady Warriors believe they are capable of pulling out the win.

“We learned that we could play at that level, if we really work hard enough to do it,” Garcia said. “We’ll have to match their level and just fight to the end, and play the best game we’ve ever played.”

[email protected]

CLASS 6A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL

McALLEN MEMORIAL VS. SAN ANTONIO O’CONNOR

WHERE: Alamo Convention Center, San Antonio

WHEN: Friday, 6 p.m.

RECORDS: McAllen Memorial (35-7); San Antonio O’Connor (34-16)

GAME NOTES: After ranking among the Lady Mustangs’ leaders in kills for most of the season, senior Allie Nitsch has given way to her freshman sister, Lanie, during the team’s playoff run. Lanie has 40 kills during the team’s three playoff games. … That total is bested only by senior Draik Banks, who has 46 kills so far this postseason. She’s had more than a dozen kills in all three games after hitting that mark just twice during the 39-game regular season. … Junior setter Taylor Marburger has been the driving force behind Memorial’s offense, picking up 632 assists, or 85.9 percent of the team’s total. She also ranks first on the team with 57 aces and second with 210 digs. … While Allie Nitsch, Banks and Marburger make up an experienced core, the strong freshman duo of Lanie Nistch and Joceylnn Everage have been difference makers for the Lady Mustangs. Everage ranks fourth on the team with 130 kills, while Lanie leads Memorial with 215 kills and 58 blocks. … Banks ranks just behind Lanie in both categories, with 212 kills and 57 blocks. … The Lady Mustangs’ senior class is on the deepest run of their careers. The team was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in 2012 and 2013 before making it to the second round last season. … McAllen Memorial has played only one San Antonio team this season, picking up a 2-0 win against Highlands during a preseason tournament. … Senior Aleya Campos leads the Lady Mustangs with 253 digs. … Although Valley teams usually face a size disadvantage against San Antonio opponents, Memorial boasts taller frontline players than O’Connor. Banks and Lanie Nitsch are both listed at 6-foot, while O’Connor’s tallest player stands 5-foot-10, according to Maxpreps. … Before this season, O’Connor had been bounced from the playoffs in the second round each of the past four years.

-Greg Luca

CLASS 6A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL

McALLEN ROWE VS. NEW BRAUNFELS CANYON

WHERE: Alamo Convention Center, San Antonio

WHEN: Friday, 8 p.m.

RECORDS: McAllen Rowe (41-8); New Braunfels Canyon (35-12)

GAME NOTES: McAllen Rowe is playing in the regional semifinals for the second time in three seasons, having suffered a 25-21, 25-19, 25-22 loss to San Antonio Churchill in 2013. … The Lady Warriors are led by reigning All-Valley Player of the Year Mayda Garcia, who has racked up 533 kills, 146 blocks, and 800 digs. Her kills and blocks totals are the best on the team. … Rowe also has three other players with more than 200 kills: Ryela Rodriguez (208), Amanda Martinez (226) and Sophia Luna (321). … Rowe’s primary setter is Vanessa Lopez, who has taken over the just in all six rotations since Deanna Spear suffered a season ending injury in late September. … On defense, the Lady Warriors are led by sophomore libero Kayla Cruz, who has 884 digs and has turned an area of projected weakness into another of Rowe’s many strengths. … Canyon’s primary frontline players — Brooke Kanas, Kristen Payne and Skyler Clark — stand 6-foot-1, 5-foot-10, and 5-foot-8, according to Maxpreps. Rowe has two players taller than 5-foot-7: Rodriguez (5-9) and and Garcia (5-9).

–Greg Luca

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

CORPUS CHRISTI — A tumultuous season for the Mission Veterans volleyball team came to a fittingly volatile end.

The Lady Patriots stormed back from two games down to level their match against Victoria West, but ultimately fell 25-23, 25-14, 14-25, 19-25, 15-12 in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal Tuesday at Corpus Christi Ray.

Longtime head coach Diana Lerma watched from the first row of the home stands after being twice suspended during the year and ultimately reassigned on Oct. 15.

“This season has been one of the worst season I’ve ever had, with our head coach being gone and everything,” junior D.D. Ibarra said. “I’m just glad we stuck it out and we came this far.”

Interim coach Vivian Ray was again leading the team on Tuesday, as she has since Lerma’s reassignment.

Although MCISD and school coaches never commented on the reasons for Lerma’s reassignment, some Mission Veterans’ parents complained that she had bullied players and used excessive profanity. Others rallied to support Lerma, saying the offended parents were upset about the distribution of playing time.

Ibarra said the controversy took a toll on the team during the season.

“I think it hurt us very much,” Ibarra said. “From going and playing against the top teams in the state of Texas, to coming over here, we just went down.”

Lerma was in attendance Tuesday to watch her senior daughter Gabby’s final match.

Between Games 4 and 5, the Lady Patriots former coach left her seat and climbed to the top of the bleachers, waving blue pompoms as she led the about 50-member student section in a call-and-response cheer. Once she finished, the students chanted her name.

The cheer came on the heels of Mission Veterans storming back to tie up the match with a dominant performance in Games 3 and 4, one fitting of the No. 5 ranked team in the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association state poll.

“One of our captains, Gabby Lerma, had said if they were going to take it away from us, at least go down swinging,” Ibarra said. “And that’s exactly what we did.”

Although Mission Veterans appeared to have taken control of the match, the teams played to an 8-8 tie to open Game 5. Victoria West won the next two points to take a 10-8 lead, and the teams traded evenly to 13-11. Then, Ray tried to call a timeout when the Lady Patriots had none remaining, resulting in a point being awarded to Victoria West. Two points later, the Lady Warriors finished the match with a kill.

Ray declined comment after the match.

“We didn’t start off with the lead like we should’ve (in Game 5),” Ibarra said. “I think that was the main thing. And we let easy balls drop when they shouldn’t have.”

Losing just one senior from a team that went to the state’s Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history last season, Mission Veterans entered the year with expectations of advancing at least that far, and potentially to the state tournament.

Instead, the loss ends the career of former All-Valley players Gabby Lerma and Daisy Reyna, plus three other seniors.

Ibarra, another former All-Valley pick, is one of five underclassmen on the roster.

“This sucks, but I have one more year to come,” Ibarra said. “Hopefully, that will be my moment.”

[email protected]

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — When Ellie Kittleman was in the process of transferring from McAllen Memorial to Juan Diego Academy, her friends told her to expect a totally different volleyball environment.

A TAPPS 1A school with 132 students couldn’t possibly be as competitive as McAllen Memorial, a traditional playoff power with an enrollment of 2399. Practices wouldn’t be as difficult, and people wouldn’t be as passionate about the sport, right?

“I got here, and on the first day of tryouts, I threw up,” Kittleman said. “Just because we’re a small school, people think we don’t work as hard, or we don’t train as hard. But that’s not the case at all. We train just as hard, if not harder. And we work every day to prove that we are just as good.”

Juan Diego Academy may not be as strong as a McAllen Memorial, but the Lady Lions have steamrolled plenty of 5A and 6A schools during the non-district season. The team is 35-3 overall heading into its biggest hurdle yet: a matchup with Bellville Faith Academy in the TAPPS 1A state semifinals at 2 p.m. Thursday in San Antonio.

With a win, Juan Diego Academy would advance to Saturday’s state final and have a chance to claim the program’s first championship after falling two wins shy last season.

“At Memorial, we didn’t have that,” said senior Jasmine Long, who also came to JDA as a transfer two years ago. “We always lost in Round 1 or Round 2, because it was very competitive. I know we’re a 1A school, but it’s still a state title, period.”

The two Memorial transfers have been perhaps the program’s biggest difference makers.

Before entering the massive student body at Memorial, Kittleman had gone to smaller elementary and middle schools. She transferred to Juan Diego Academy before this year to get back to the more intimate setting.

She said the switch was at first a shock, but that the sense of community at JDA made her feel welcome quickly. Even with just 132 students, Lady Lions fans pack the stands. On Thursday, students will be permitted to leave early to drive up to San Antonio and support the team.

Their presence means a lot to Kittleman, who said her biggest growth as a player has been developing confidence.
“There’s a really big difference from my sophomore year to how I’m playing now,” Kittleman, a junior, said. “A lot of it has to do with my coach, and the school environment, and all the support we get.”

Coach Vic Garza said Kittleman has been by far the team’s best and most powerful hitter, and that Long has been JDA’s best all-around player — a “volleyball junkie” who understands the ins and outs of every position.

Like Kittleman, Long had grown up attending smaller schools. But after spending two years at McAllen Memorial, Long was unsure how well she’d adjust to the new environment, especially athletically.

“When I came here, I didn’t want to,” Long said. “It’s a 1A school. Who wants to play for a 1A school? But when I came, coach Garza helped me realize that just because it’s a 1A school, we’re not going to bring you down. You’re still going to be challenged athletically. That’s something that got me going.”

She found that the competition was still tough. JDA regularly faced 5A or 6A schools from Laredo and La Joya before cruising through the District 6-1A schedule undefeated.

Long also found that Garza and his three assistant coaches put a greater emphasis on teaching and developing individual skills.

“Here at JDA, there’s more of a learning atmosphere,” Long said. “You have a question, you ask. You don’t just scrimmage. We run drills to help everyone get better.”

Garza, primarily a basketball coach, has left much of that technical training to his three assistants, who have varying levels of club or high school volleyball coaching experience. As the program has found some success, Garza and his staff have made efforts to sustain it, and to keep moving forward.

“This year, when we knew we were coming back and we were going to be good, we really stressed development with the coaches,” Garza said. “We went to clinics, and we watched some videos, and we tried to pick it up from our perspective, to provide a better service for our kids.”

In last year’s state final four, Garza said the lights got a little too bright for JDA, resulting in a loss to San Antonio Gateway. The Lady Lions avenged that loss in this year’s area round, topping Gateway in four games.

Now, a school that started five years ago with a group of 17 freshmen is just two wins away from a state title.

“We’re building this community of volleyball, and we’re just growing so much,” senior Maddie Ayala said. “It feels really good. When us seniors leave, I feel like we’re leaving a good foundation, and we’re leaving a mark on the school.”

[email protected]

Thursday, Nov. 5
Class 6A Area
Laredo United def. Brownsville Veterans Memorial 25-18, 25-20, 26-28, 25-18

Friday, Nov. 6
Class 5A Area
Victoria West def. Sharyland Pioneer 25-23, 25-17, 25-20
Flour Bluff def. Edinburg Vela 26-24, 26-24, 25-17

Class 6A Area
McAllen Memorial def. Edinburg North 25-15, 25-13, 25-15
McAllen Rowe def. Edinburg High 25-16, 24-26, 25-18, 25-16

Saturday, Nov. 7
Class 6A Area
Los Fresnos def. Laredo Alexander 20-25, 25-21, 25-16, 26-24

Class 5A Area
Mission Veterans Memorial def. Corpus Christi Calallen 23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 15-7
Tuloso-Midway def. Sharyland High 25-15, 25-13, 25-20

Class 2A Area
Three Rivers def. Santa Maria 3-0
San Perlita def. Charlotte 25-17, 25-20, 25-19

TAPPS 1A Regional Quarterfinal
Juan Diego Academy def. San Marcos Hill Country Christian 25-10, 25-11, 25-16

Tuesday, Nov. 10
Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal
McAllen Memorial vs. Los Fresnos at Weslaco High, 6:30 p.m.
McAllen Rowe vs. Laredo United at Roma, 7 p.m.

Class 5A Regional Quarterfinal
Mission Veterans Memorial vs. Victoria West at Corpus Christi Ray, time TBA

Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal
San Perlita vs. Corpus Christi London at Riviera Kaufer, 7 p.m.

TBA
TAPPS 1A State Semifinal

Juan Diego Academy vs. TBA in San Antonio

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — After nursing flu symptoms on Thursday night, being drenched in a cooler of ice-cold Gatorade probably wasn’t the healthiest thing for La Joya Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia.

But when the Huskies finished off a 20-7 win against La Joya High on Friday at La Joya ISD Stadium to secure the first playoff berth in program history, Garcia was all right with Andrew Rodriguez and Robert Gonzalez giving him a freezing shower.

“I was feeling a little bit under the weather, but I don’t mind,” Garcia said. “Hell, we’re in the playoffs.”

The Huskies went 0-10 last season and started this year 0-3 in District 30-6A play before ripping off a three-game winning streak.

Juarez-Lincoln finishes the regular season 4-6 overall and 3-3 in district, while La Joya misses out on the postseason with a record of 3-7, 2-4.

“This is outstanding. I can’t explain what I feel,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment, and it feels great. It just feels, oh my God.”

The Huskies had been close to the postseason before, going 5-5 in 2012 but missing on a tiebreaker.

Juarez-Lincoln was 20-50 all-time entering this year, coming off the first winless season in program history. In 2014, the Huskies were derailed by injuries and a lack of numbers in the program, being outscored 332-107.

Juarez-Lincoln still struggled at times in 2015, posting the worst offense in district even with three straight wins over La Joya Palmview, Mission High and La Joya High to close the regular season.

“This is awesome,” safety Elias Gutierrez said. “We came together as a team.”

In doing so, Juarez-Lincoln earned the right to visit Laredo United at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. In last season’s bi-district round, United beat La Joya High 62-7.

“We’re going to enjoy this moment, and we’re going to work hard this week,” Gutierrez said. “We have Laredo United, and they’re a real tough team, but we’re going to put it to them.”

The Huskies needed a major offensive turnaround to pull through Friday.

During the first half, Juarez-Lincoln picked up just 13 yards on 17 plays, going without a first down in six drives.

In half No. 2, the Huskies racked up 204 yards on 28 plays, scoring three times. Garcia said Juarez-Lincoln started running the ball inside more often to negate La Joya’s speed on defense.

“We were a little wide-eyed because of the impact of the game,” Garcia said. “We made our adjustments at halftime, and we were able to move the chains.”

Adonis Barillas finished the game with 11 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Obed Fernandez had 12 carries for 63 yards with a score, and Robert Gonzalez had five carries for 45 yards. Fernandez also connected with Carlos Serna on a touchdown pass.

Gutierrez made a major impact on defense, hauling in two interceptions.

“We did need a big lift,” Gutierrez said, “and that helped us out a lot.”

[email protected]

GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Last season, Sharyland Pioneer senior Desiree Garza watched her twin sister, Deandra, become one of the team’s star hitters.

A first-team all-district selection in 2014, Deandra is the Lady Diamondbacks’ leading returner in kills, a player who was expected to take on a major role in the team’s offense this season. But that plan was derailed in February, when Deandra developed a case of plantar fasciitis that has limited her all year long.

Desiree knew it was her time to move into the spotlight.

“She was the go-to last year, so we needed someone to step it up this year,” Desiree said. “We trained in the summer. She pushed me. And now, she’s always telling me, ‘Des, if you’re on, the team is on. We need you.’”

With Desiree taking on a leading role and Deandra rounding into form, Pioneer believes it is peaking at the perfect time heading into tonight’s Class 5A area-round playoff matchup against Victoria West.

Together, the Garza twins have formed a potent duo on the front line, often playing side-by-side.

“Last year Deandra had a lot of achievements, a lot of success,” coach Laura Cavazos said. “Desiree was pushing her and excited for her. This year, Desiree has really stepped in the light, and Deandra has been there for her. They’re very supportive of each other.”

Deandra began struggling with her injury in February, when she said her foot gave out on her during a track meet. She’s run the gamut of possible treatment options for her left heel: doctor’s appointments in Dallas and San Antonio, six steroid injections, rest, massages, and a brace to wear at night. But none of it worked.

“I wasn’t supposed to play volleyball my senior year, but of course I wasn’t going to let that happen,” Garza said. “It affects me every single day, but I’m not letting myself down. I’m not going to give up. I just put up a fight every single day and block the pain out of my head, so I can perform my best every day.”

She said it doesn’t feel so bad once she gets active and moving, but getting out of bed in the morning is a challenge. On the court, she could tell her vertical and her hitting weren’t in top form.

“I just wasn’t the same player,” Deandra said. “I would cry every day to my parents, ‘Guys, it’s not the same. It’s hard. I don’t want to do it. I want to quit.’”

After being severely limited during the first round of district play, Deandra said she came back stronger in the second half. She was determined to make the most of her senior year — a common goal for the eight seniors on the roster, including Desiree.

Deandra said she feels like she’s back to her old self, and Cavazos said Deandra played one of her best matches in the team’s bi-district win against Edcouch-Elsa.

“I’m seeing my Deandra back, and she’s playing the best she has all season,” Cavazos said. “It’s perfect timing for us right now.”

While the injury has hurt Deandra’s production, Desiree has shown major improvements from last year. She jumped from 87 kills last season to 174 this year, ranking No. 2 on the team behind senior Maddie Hatzold. Desiree credited the progress to summer training and healing from a severe ankle sprain that cost her most of the second half of the 2014 district season.

Cavazos said she sees an improved focus in Desiree, and Deandra pointed to an increase in her confidence.

“She’s actually killing it,” Deandra said. “She’s something else. She puts the ball down guaranteed every single time.”

With both in top form, the Garzas have become a formidable front-row combination. On certain rotations they’ll line up side-by-side, where their chemistry and communication help them stifle the opposition’s offense.

“Since we’re twins, we read each other and we have each other’s back,” Deandra said. “I love playing with her. It never gets old. We have a lot of fun playing together in the front row. We do really great together.”

[email protected]