BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — When McAllen Rowe coach Paul Reyes watched quarterback John Perez play last season, he could see the wheels spinning in the junior’s head. Should I make this throw, or do I need to make that throw?

As a result of over-thinking situations, Perez short-armed a lot of his passes.

Now during his second season as Rowe’s starting quarterback, Perez has ditched the nerves and jitters. As a result, Perez has improved in almost every facet of his game, leading District 30-6A in passing through six weeks with 920 passing yards and 8 touchdowns.

“Having that experience last year and coming in now, he is feeling more comfortable,” Reyes said. “He doesn’t tighten up as much.”

Reyes points to Rowe’s second and third games of the season — against Mercedes and Laredo United — as turning points for Perez.

Against Mercedes’ aggressive defense, Perez found he could make calls at the line to put Rowe’s offense in advantageous situations. And during a 42-point second half against Laredo United, Perez realized there was no need for pregame jitters.

“I think that really flipped the switch there,” Reyes said. “He just told himself, ‘This is what I have to do, and I can do it.’”

Perez counts the mental side of the game as one of his biggest strengths. He’s always watched football with his dad and has played quarterback from the time he entered middle school, so he knows how to break down a defense.

He said he’s always had an easy time picking up plays, and he counts his ability to diagnose opponents as the biggest improvement he’s made in his second year at the helm.

“Having that experience of starting, I think that gives me a better view of the field and helps me read the plays a lot better,” Perez said.

Arm strength is also a major asset for Perez. That power allows him to deliver passes without setting his feet, or to wait a beat longer on his release.

He credited his passing success this season to an improved offensive line and to the athletic wideout duo of Hector Bosquez and Joseph Moreno, who rank first and second in the district in receiving yards.

“This year, he’s much more confident in his throws,” Bosquez said. “I’ve seen him work over the summer. We’ve done some routes with all of the receivers, and with him as QB. We’ve just been really getting the timing down.”

Perez has also become a dynamic threat on the ground, leading the team and ranking seventh in the district with 355 yards and five touchdowns. In 10 games last year, he picked up 268 yards rushing and failed to reach the end zone.

“He’s always been a dual-threat quarterback,” Bosquez said. “It’s just this year, I don’t know, he’s let go of the trailer a little bit. He’s gotten a little bit faster, too.”

Perez attributes the improvement to getting taller — now up to 6 feet — without adding any weight. Still, he’s been caught off guard by the extent of his production.

“I’m honestly a little surprised at how well I’ve been running the ball,” Perez said. “Last year, I would run the ball, but I wouldn’t run as well. I’d just run and get tackled. Now I run, I can break some tackles, and I can get away from some people. It’s a lot better than I expected.”

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Tuesday, Oct. 6

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-13, 25-9, 25-8

McAllen High def. Mission High 24-26, 25-7, 25-12, 28-26

McAllen Memorial def. La Joya High 25-7, 25-12, 25-13

District 31-6A

PSJA Memorial def. Edinburg Economedes 25-14, 25-18, 25-14

PSJA North def. Weslaco High 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-25, 15-13

Edinburg North def. Weslaco East 25-12, 25-19, 25-12

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial def. Harlingen South 25-12, 25-22, 23-25, 20-25, 15-9

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Lopez 25-8, 25-15, 25-5

Harlingen High def. Brownsville Rivera 25-16, 18-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-12

San Benito at Brownsville Hanna, not reported

District 31-5A

Sharyland High def. Edinburg Vela 25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-22

Sharyland Pioneer def. Valley View 25-15, 25-15, 25-9

Roma def. Rio Grande City 25-21, 10-25, 25-21, 25-11

District 32-5A

Brownsville Porter def. Donna North 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-19

Brownsville Pace def. Mercedes 21-25, 24-26, 25-14, 25-14, 15-11

Donna High def. PSJA Southwest 25-12, 25-15, 25-8

PSJA High def. Edcouch-Elsa 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 27-25

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Raymondville 25-6, 25-14, 25-16

Grulla def. Progreso 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 25-23

Hidalgo def. Rio Hondo 25-22, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18

Zapata at Port Isabel, not reported

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at IDEA Frontier, not reported

District 32-2A

La Villa def. San Isidro 24-26, 25-15, 25-12, 25-17

San Perlita def. Lasara 25-11, 25-17, 25-16

TAPPS District 6-1A

Juan Diego Academy def. South Texas Christian Academy 25-4, 25-10, 25-14

Friday, Oct. 9

District 32-4A

Grulla at La Feria, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10

Non-District

Juan Diego Academy at Edinburg Economedes, noon

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at Valley View, noon

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe at McAllen Memorial, noon

Mission High at La Joya Palmview, noon

La Joya High at McAllen High, noon

District 31-6A

Weslaco High at Edinburg High, noon

Edinburg North at PSJA North, noon

PSJA Memorial at Weslaco East, 3 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Rivera at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, noon

Harlingen South Brownsville Lopez, noon

Brownsville Hanna at Harlingen High, noon

Los Fresnos at San Benito, noon

District 31-5A

Roma at Edinburg Vela, noon

Sharyland High at Mission Veterans, noon

Sharyland Pioneer at Rio Grande City, noon

District 32-5A

Donna High at Brownsville Pace, 2 p.m.

PSJA High at PSJA Southwest, 2 p.m.

Mercedes at Donna North, 3 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Edcouch-Elsa, 2 p.m.

District 32-4A

Rio Hondo at Port Isabel, 1 p.m.

Raymondville at Zapata, 2 p.m.

Progreso at Hidalgo, 2 p.m.

La Feria at Grulla, 2 p.m.

District 32-3A

Lyford at Monte Alto, 2:30 p.m.

District 32-2A

Lasara at La Villa, noon

VALLEY-VOLLEYBALL SUMMARIES

Tuesday’s Matches

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. LA JOYA HIGH

25-7, 25-12, 25-13

McALLEN MEMORIAL — Not reported.

LA JOYA HIGH — Ashley Olivarez 3 kills, 4 aces; Karina Casanova 4 kills, 2 aces; Vanessa Ortega 5 kills; Sarah Salinas 10 digs; Yatzari Resendez 6 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen Memorial 30-2, 7-0; La Joya High 17-11, 2-5.

McALLEN HIGH DEF. MISSION HIGH

24-26, 25-7, 25-12, 28-26

McALLEN HIGH — Carter Helmcamp 8 kills, 19 assists, 3 digs, 2 aces; Lexi Giusti 2 kills, 28 assists, 6 digs; Julia Monday 16 kills, 1 block, 5 digs, 1 ace; Hannah Bishop 7 kills, 1 dig; Sydney Pemelton 12 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace; Taylor Helmcamp 11 kills, 2 blocks, 3 aces; Kellie Woodin 10 digs.

MISSION HIGH — Emily Alvarado 7 kills, 7 points, 7 assists; Maria Garcia 6 kills, 8 digs; Clarissa Gonzalez 2 kills, 2 blocks; Lissete Vela 3 kills, 2 blocks; Michelle Madden 7 points, 12 assts, 9 digs; Cazzy Rodriguez 5 points, 3 aces, 27 digs..

RECORDS — McAllen High 33-3, 5-2; Mission High 14-17, 3-4.

MCALLEN ROWE DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

25-13, 25-9, 25-8

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN — Not reported.

MCALLEN ROWE — Vanessa Lopez 22 assists, 3 aces, 4 kills; Melanie Ortiz 8 assists, 5 digs; Sophia Luna 13 kills, 3 aces; Ryela Rodriguez 8 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks; Deanna Gonzalez 4 kills, 3 blocks; Amanda Martinez 5 kills, 1 ace; Kayla Cruz 13 digs; Karina De La Rosa 11 digs; Brianna Chaidez 10 digs; Andrea Gomez 9 digs, 1 assist; Rene Alonzo 4 aces, 2 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen Rowe 33-8, 6-1; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-13, 0-7.

District 31-6A

PSJA NORTH DEF. WESLACO HIGH

25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-25, 15-13

PSJA NORTH — Belle palacios 15 kills, 20 digs, 1 ace; Stephanie Crispin 15 kills, 4 blocks; Angela Ochoa 6 kills, 21 digs, 1 ace; Sam Enriquez 42 assists.

WESLACO HIGH — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA North 14-15, 4-3; Weslaco High 8-23, 2-5.

PSJA MEMORIAL DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-14, 25-18, 25-14

PSJA MEMORIAL — Kristi Gomez 32 kills; Deserey gomez 10 kills; Amanda Aguilera 34 assists, 5 kills; Carla De Leon 7 assists, 12 digs, 2 kills; Victoria Maldonado 22 digs; Mireya Martinez 12 digs.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA Memorial 16-8, 6-1; Edinburg Economedes 5-25, 0-7.

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-12, 25-19, 25-12

EDINBURG NORTH — Victoria Rogers 10 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces; Ayissa Maldonado 20 assists, 6 digs; Abri Saenz 27 digs, 1 ace; Julie Villarreal 6 kills, 8 digs, 1 ace; Lizeth Cavazos 4 kills, 6 digs.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 25-10, 6-1; Weslaco East 14-19, 1-6.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-15, 25-15, 25-9

SHARYLAND PIONEER — Maddie Hatzold 10 kills, 1 assist; Audrey Smith 7 kills, 9 assists, 8 digs; Desiree Garza 6 kills, 1 block; Bianca Garza 17 digs, 1 ace; Elisa Lopez 4 aces, 20 digs; Sandra Solis 13 assists.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland Pioneer 23-10, 5-2; Valley View 17-13, 2-5.

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. EDINBURG VELA

25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 25-22

SHARYLAND HIGH — Paige Jones 15 kills, 1 ace, 17 digs, 11 assists; Maddie Garza 15 kills, 2 blocks, 15 digs; Tehya Rassman 6 kills, 1 ace; Hannah Kirby 7 kills, 1 ace; Norma Quintanilla 4 blocks; Caleigh Hausenfluck 21 digs; Melanie Lazos 15 assists.

EDINBURG VELA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 15-16, 5-2; Edinburg Vela 29-11, 4-3.

ROMA DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY

25-21, 10-25, 25-21, 25-11

RIO GRANDE CITY — Not reported

ROMA — Clarissa Guerra 8 kills, 4 digs, 4 blocks; Lesvia Celedon 4 kills, 14 assists, 4 aces, 4 digs, 2 blocks; Mariana Canales 7 kills, 3 aces, 5 digs; Allie Reyes 5 kills, 2 blocks; Kriss Rocha 3 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks, 11 digs.

RECORDS — Roma 9-19, 2-5; Rio Grande City 0-7.

District 32-5A

DONNA HIGH DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST

25-12, 25-15, 25-8

DONNA HIGH — Yvette Tamez 17 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks; Adrianna Martinez 35 assists, 2 aces; Kara Yanez 24 digs, 2 aces; Sarah Gonzalez 7 kills, 2 blocks; Melanie Arenas 12 kills, 3 aces.

PSJA SOUTHWEST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Donna High 19-6, 6-2; PSJA Southwest 12-17, 2-6.

BROWNSVILLE PORTER DEF. DONNA NORTH

23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-19

BROWNSVILLE PORTER — Not reported.

DONNA NORTH — I’Dasha Sorrell 2 aces, 6 kills, 4 blocks; Evelyn De Leon 2 aces, 4 kills; Alexis Olivarez 4 kills, 1 block; Vanessa Alonzo 3 kills, 2 blocks.

RECORDS — Brownsville Porter 11-18, 4-4; Donna North 10-18, 0-8.

District 32-4A

GRULLA DEF. PROGRESO

25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 25-23

GRULLA — Caitlyn Rodriguez 34 digs, 1 ace, 1 assist; Danielle Lopez 11 assists, 15 digs; Delma Ozuna 1 ace, 9 kills, 1 block, 18 digs; Evelyn Zarate 1 ace, 10 kills, 6 assists, 28 digs; Leticia Flores 1 ace, 6 digs; Sarahi Garcia 1 kill, 11 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 3 kills, 5 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 3 kills, 1 assist, 52 digs.

PROGRESO — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 9-5, 3-5; Progeso 17-11, 3-5.

LA FERIA DEF. RAYMONDVILLE

25-6, 25-14, 25-16

LA FERIA — Belisa Vela 17 kills, 1 ace, 6 digs; Sara Alvarado 6 kills, 2 digs; Anette Ruiz 5 kills, 1 ace, 24 assists, 4 digs; Arnelli Rodriguez 5 kills, 1 ace.

RAYMONDVILLE — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Feria 12-9, 7-1; Raymondville 1-7.

HIDALGO DEF. RIO HONDO

25-22, 21-25, 25-13, 25-18

HIDALGO — Karla Cantu 10 kills; Nelly Flores 16 kills, 3 aces; Jasmine ramirez 9 kills; Stephanie Ysasi 22 assists, 5 aces; Vivian Chavez 3 kills, 4 aces.

RIO HONDO — Not reported.

RECORDS — Hidalgo 5-22, 2-6; Rio Hondo 3-4.

District 32-2A

SAN PERLITA DEF. LASARA

25-11, 25-17, 25-16

SAN PERLITA — Mia Maurer 8 kills; Justine Nyquist 17 assists; Kristen Kinney 11 assists.

LASARA — Not reported.

RECORDS — San Perlita 11-4, 2-1; Lasara 0-10, 0-3.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — When PSJA High met Edcouch-Elsa during the opening match of District 32-5A play last month, the Lady Bears were overcome with first-game jitters. For freshman Jackie Alanis, it marked the first district match of her career. She and the others were nervous, didn’t communicate well, and were generally just off in a three-game loss.

Since that match, the Lady Bears have been unstoppable, winning seven straight. PSJA High kept that streak going on Tuesday, taking down previously unbeaten Edcouch-Elsa 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 27-25 to draw even atop the district standings.

“The difference today is we talked to each other,” Alanis said. “The first game, we were yelling at each other and pointing at people. Today, we just worked with each other.”

Alanis was the biggest beneficiary of that chemistry on Tuesday, sending home a match-best 23 kills.

Knowing that Edcouch-Elsa had one of the Valley’s best defenses, coach Lily Talamantez told her players to approach the matchup with more focus on placement and less focus on power. With that in mind, Alanis consistently found the open spots on the floor.

“She’s my go-to hitter,” setter Valeria Gonzalez said. “I’m able to have confidence in her and know she’s going to put it down no matter what. As a setter, I can trust her.”

Along with returning junior Myranda Garza, Alanis has been one of the biggest strengths of PSJA High’s team this season.

Coming in as a freshman with experience playing club ball, Alanis has “really kind of helped pick the team up another level,” Talamantez said.

Despite her background, Alanis didn’t expect to have such an impact so early.

“This was actually a surprise for me. I had played, but I didn’t think I was that good,” Alanis said. “Once we started playing our scrimmages, and once we started playing before district, that got me comfortable.”

Alanis also had 11 digs and 5 aces in the match. Garza notched 20 kills, 18 digs and an ace. Gonzalez did the majority of the setting for the Lady Bears and compiled 52 assists. Middles Natalie Lozano and Sara Jo Hernandez racked up a combined 19 blocks.

The win pushes PSJA High to 7-1 in district, a mark shared by Edcouch-Elsa.

“That was a big confidence booster for the kids,” Talamantez said. “Knowing they beat the first-place team, it was a big boost.”

While both teams are in prime position to share a district title, defending co-champion Donna High is lurking just one loss behind.

A first-place finish would mark another major step forward for Gonzalez and the rest of PSJA High’s senior class. After finishing 3-7 in District 31-5A to take seventh place in 2013, the Lady Bears improved to 8-6 in 32-5A last year, good for third place.

“Since my freshman year, we’ve come out in the bottom,” Gonzalez said. “It’s my senior year, so coming out on top, we just want to make a statement.”

Prior to Tuesday, defending district co-champion Edcouch-Elsa hadn’t lost a game, much less a match, since Aug. 28.

The Lady Yellowjackets were paced Tuesday by Samantha Martinez, who recorded a triple double with 18 kills, 24 assists, 15 digs, 2 aces and 2 blocks. Cassidy Martinez had 16 kills, Maddie Acevedo had 36 digs, and Jackie De Los Santos had 30 assists.

“We’re happy to be up there, of course. But we’re not in the position we were about three or four days ago,” coach Ofelia Griffith said. “When this happens, now our backs are against the wall. We have to really push, and push back hard.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Memorial setter Taylor Marburger knows she can trust an attacker who isn’t afraid to ask for the ball. Even as a freshman, Lanie Nitsch has shown no fear doing that from Day 1.

Starting from the opening match of the season, Nitsch has ranked as one of the Mustangs’ three leaders in kills. Another freshman, Jocelyn Everage, has also been a regular starter and key cog in the offense.

Together with a strong core of returners, the newcomers have lifted McAllen Memorial to an undefeated run through the first half of play in District 30-6A.

“We knew they were very talented, but we never thought we would depend on them so much for these big games,” Marburger said. “We’ve been doing that a lot recently.”

Nitsch said she wasn’t fully comfortable with the Lady Mustangs during her first few weeks, but added that her confidence never wavered.

With time, she adjusted to the bigger blockers on the other side of the net, becoming much more vocal as the year progressed.

“I feel like I’m responsible just as much as anybody else,” Nitsch said. “It doesn’t make a difference that I’m a freshman.”

Marburger said the entire team — even the upperclassmen — feed off of Nitsch’s energy.

Coach Lorena Lopez saw how Nitch’s athleticism, competitive edge and understanding of the game made her not just a useful player, but a leader.

“She’s not following anybody,” Lopez said. “She’s like, ‘Follow me.’ That’s great about her. Her biggest asset is the team’s willingness to follow her wherever she wants to go.”

Nitsch’s older sister, Allie, said she always saw Lanie’s success coming. Now a senior, Allie remembers starting during her freshman season and telling Lopez at one of Memorial’s team nights that her sister would someday do the same.

“I just knew it,” Allie said. “She has this mindset of always coming out to win, and she doesn’t want anyone else to beat her.”

Having an older sister lead the way helped the process along. Lanie and Allie said they still spend time at home talking Memorial volleyball — things like how to build team chemistry, where to hit and block, or what jumps out about the next opponent.

Allie said she’s always around to offer pointers to Lanie, who is always open to listen. While Lanie consistently projected confidence, she credited her sister for making her truly have faith in her ability.

“She really always told me, ‘You’re fine, you’re ready for this,’” Lanie said. “That really helped me, because I did not believe that.”

Everage also needed a little time to fully believe in herself. Like Lanie, Everage had been playing since elementary school and had an extensive history at the club level.

But high school was a different challenge — one with a bigger audience and more eyes on every point.

“At first, I had a lot of nerves,” Everage said. “As the season went on, it got a lot better. I learned to channel my energy.”

While Lanie is loud and motivating, Everage is more quiet and levelheaded. Marburger said she never sees Everage get tense.

Everage has impressed with her versatility and willingness to play outside, middle or opposite with equal effectiveness. Allie even thought Everage would make a good setter because of her soft hands. What’s impressed Lopez the most has been Everage’s consistency.

“I get the same play out of Jocelyn game after game,” Lopez said. “There are never surprises. There are no lulls.”

A third freshman, Valeria Treviño, has broken into the starting lineup in recent weeks. Lopez won’t bring up freshmen to sit the bench, but Treviño proved during practice that she’s ready to be a three-rotation starter.

On certain plays, the three freshmen will be lined up side-by-side across the front row. Lopez said the infusion of new blood has been fine by the older players, who have bought in to the principle that everyone plays under the same ‘Varsity’ label.

“They’ve accepted the philosophy: ‘This is the varsity. This is our team. This is our chance. This is our year. We have to make it happen,’” Lopez said. “They’re all in, and that’s what helps.”

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Friday, Oct. 2

District 32-2A

San Perlita def. San Isidro 25-14, 25-15, 25-9

Saturday, Oct. 3

District 30-6A

McAllen High def. La Joya Palmview 25-7, 25-8, 25-16

McAllen Memorial def. Mission High 25-15, 25-10, 25-16

La Joya High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 17-25, 23-25, 25-11, 25-12, 15-7

District 31-6A

Weslaco High def. Weslaco East 25-15, 25-23, 25-14

Edinburg High def. PSJA North 25-17, 25-18, 25-18

Edinburg North def. Edinburg Economedes 25-6, 25-9, 25-6

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans def. Brownsville Lopez 25-12, 25-11, 25-15

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Hanna 25-20, 25-13, 28-26

San Benito def. Brownsville Rivera 25-16, 25-19, 25-15

Harlingen High def. harlingen South 28-26, 19-25, 25-11, 25-22

District 31-5A

Valley View def. Roma 25-14, 25-27, 25-14, 25-17

Sharyland High def. Rio Grande City 25-10, 25-10, 25-17

Mission Veterans def. Edinburg Vela 18-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-18

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa def. Donna High 25-23, 25-22, 25-10

Brownsville Pace def. PSJA Southwest 17-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-9

Mercedes def. Brownsville Porter 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 25-20

PSJA High def. Donna North 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-11

District 32-3A

Santa Rosa def. Brownsville Frontier 25-15, 25-20, 25-19

District 32-4A

La Feria def. Port Isabel 25-15, 29-27, 25-22

Grulla def. Hidalgo 25-18, 25-16, 25-17

Raymondville def. Progreso

District 32-2A

La Villa at Santa Maria, not reported

Non-district

Juan Diego Academy def. Faith Christian Academy 25-11, 25-17, 25-14

Tuesday, Oct. 6

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen Rowe, 6:30 p.m.

McAllen High at Mission High, 6:30 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at La Joya High, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Economedes at PSJA Memorial, 7 p.m.

PSJA North at Weslaco High, 7 p.m.

Weslaco East at Edinburg North, 7 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Harlingen South, 6:30 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Los Fresnos, 6:30 p.m.

Harlingen High at Brownsville Rivera, 6:30 p.m.

San Benito at Brownsville Hanna, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

Rio Grande City at Roma, 7 p.m.

Edinburg Vela at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Valley View at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Donna North at Brownsville Porter, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Pace at Mercedes, 7 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Donna High, 7 p.m.

Edcouch-Elsa at PSJA High, 7 p.m.

District 32-4A

La Feria at Raymondville, 7 p.m.

Grulla at Progreso, 7 p.m.

Zapata at Port Isabel, 6:30 p.m.

Rio Hondo at Hidalgo, 7 p.m.

District 32-3A

Monte Alto at IDEA Frontier, 7 p.m.

District 32-2A

La Villa at San Isidro, 7 p.m.

Lasara at San Perlita, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Matches

District 30-6A

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. MISSION HIGH

25-15, 25-10, 25-16

McALLEN MEMORIAL — Lanie Nitsch 8 kills; Draik Banks 7 kills, 2 blocks; Joceyln Everage 5 kills, 3 aces; Allie Nistch 4 kills, 4 aces, 13 digs, 3 assists; Taylor Marburger 4 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 14 digs, 24 assists.

MISSION HIGH — Maria Garcia 5 kills, 12 digs; Lissete Vela 5 kills, 4 blocks; Clarissa Gonzalez 2 blocks; Emily Alvarado 5 kills, 6 assits; Alyssa Olivarez 9 digs; Kazzy Rodriguez 9 digs.

RECORDS — McAllen Memorial 29-2, 6-0; Mission High 14-16, 3-3.

LA JOYA HIGH DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN

17-25, 23-25, 25-11, 25-12, 15-7

LA JOYA HIGH — Ashley Olivarez 7 kills; Sarah Salinas 28 digs, 5 aces; Vanessa Ortega 10 kills; Karina Casanova 10 kills, 4 aces; Crystal Mejia 3 aces, 7 assists; Ashley Mireles 2 aces, 14 assists.

LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Joya High 17-10, 2-4; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-12, 0-6.

McALLEN HIGH DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW

25-7, 25-8, 25-16

McALLEN HIGH — Not reported.

LA JOYA PALMVIEW — Jasmine Campos 2 aces, 3 assists; Alexandria Alaniz 5 kills, 2 digs; Brenda Martinez 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 ace.

RECORDS — McAllen High 33-3, 4-2; La Joya Palmview 4-17, 1-5.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. PSJA NORTH

25-17, 25-18, 25-18

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 5 kills, 4 aces, 15 digs, 22 assists; Marissa Arce 9 kills, 2 aces, 23 digs; Amber Reyes 3 kills, 7 blocks,1 assist, 3 digs; Tianna Howard 22 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs; Yessi Molina 1 kill, 5 assists, 19 digs; Elizabeth Olivarez 1 ace, 26 digs; Bree Pena 6 kills, 1 ace, 16 digs.

PSJA NORTH — Belle Palacios 8 kills, 13 digs; Angela Ochoa 5 kills, 14 digs, 1 ace; Setphanie Crispin 5 kills, 4 blocks; Maryeld Gonzalez 5 kills, 7 digs, 2 blocks; Sam Enriquez 26 assists, 1 ace.

RECORDS — PSJA North 13-15, 3-3; Edinburg High 26-6, 5-1.

EDINBURG NORTH DEF. EDINBURG ECONOMEDES

25-6, 25-9, 25-6

EDINBURG NORTH — Kali Martinez 10 kills, 2 blocks; Victoria Rogers 7 kills, 3 digs; Lizeth Cavazos 7 kills, 6 digs; Abri Saenz 20 digs; Ayissa Maldonado 31 assists, 4 aces; Julie Villarreal 6 kills, 11 digs.

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg North 24-10, 5-1; Edinburg Economedes 5-24, 0-6.

WESLACO HIGH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-14, 25-23, 25-14

WESLACO HIGH — Maddie Ybarra 7 kills, 12 digs, 2 blocks; Amy Garcia 9 digs, 2 aces; Jacqueline Moreno 6 kills, 2 blocks; Briana Gonzalez 5 kills; Jacqueline Calvillo 3 kills, 1 block; Savannah Herrera 10 digs; Leslie Gonzalez 13 digs, 2 aces; Alyssa Escamilla 11 digs; Sydney Cid 17 assists, 21 digs, 2 aces.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Weslaco High 8-22, 2-4; Weslaco East 14-18; 1-5.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY

25-10, 25-10, 25-17

SHARYLAND HIGH — Paige Jones 8 kills, 3 aces, 7 assists; Norma Quintanilla 4 kills, 3 aces, 4 blocks; Maddie Garza 4 kills; Caleigh Hausenfluck 5 aces, 6 digs; Melanie Lazos 9 assists.

RIIO GRANDE CITY — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 14-16, 4-2; Rio Grande City 0-6.

MISSION VETERANS DEF. EDINBURG VELA

18-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-18

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 19 kills, 1 ace, 13 digs; Alex Jiminez 7 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs; Andrea de la Garza 6 kills, 1 assist, 3 digs; D.D. Ibarra 3 kills, 28 assists, 3 aces, 17 digs; Daisy Reyna 17 kills, 1 ace, 15 digs; Karina Garcia 5 assists, 12 digs; Mariah Gonzalez 25 digs; Jackie Howell 5 kills, 2 aces, 12 digs.

EDINBURG VELA — Nicole Avelar 14 kills 8 digs, 11 points; Jaida Muhammad 8 kills, 12 digs, 7 points; Julissa Cuellar 13 assists, 5 digs, 4 points, 3 kills; Mariely Rebollar 7 assists, 6 points, 5 digs; Nicole Castaneda 6 blocks; Bianca Cortez 5 blocks.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 30-3, 6-0; Edinburg Vela 29-10, 4-2.

District 32-5A

PSJA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH

25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 25-11

DONNA NORTH — Evelyn De Leon 2 aces, 11 kills, 2 blocks; I’Dasha Sorrell 11 kills, 3 aces; Alexis Olivarez 7 kills, 4 aces, 3 blocks.

PSJA HIGH — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA High 13-7, 6-1; Donna North 10-17, 0-7.

District 32-4A

GRULLA DEF. HIDALGO

25-18, 25-16, 25-17

GRULLA — Caitlyn Rodriguez 25 digs; Danielle Lopez 2 aces, 4 assists, 3 digs; Delma Ozuna 4 aces, 7 kills, 2 blocks, 18 digs; Evelyn Zarate 1 ace, 5 kills, 6 assists, 11 digs; leticia Flores 1 kill, 2 assists, 1 dig; Sarahi Garcia 1 kill, 4 digs; Shelsie Hernandez 2 kills, 2 blocks, 2 digs; Victoria Gonzalez 22 digs.

Hidalgo — Not reported.

RECORDS — Grulla 8-5, 2-5; Hidalgo 4-22, 1-6.

LA FERIA DEF. PORT ISABEL

25-15, 29-27, 25-22

LA FERIA — Belisa Vela 15 kills, 14 digs; Annette Ruiz 22 assists, 3 kills, 4 digs, 1 ace; Laura Torres 11 digs; Myah Salas 4 kills, 2 digs, 2 aces; Audrey Garza 8 digs, 1 kill; Sara Alvarado 2 kills, 3 aces, 3 digs; Camryn Lopez 4 aces, 1 blocks, 1 kill, 2 digs; Anelli Rodriguez 3 blocks, 3 kills; Dorina Garcai 2 aces, 3 digs.

PORT ISABEL — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Feria 11-9, 6-1; Port Isabel 5-2.

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — In a chippy game that saw verbal barbs and late hits traded back and forth, Ricky Espinoza and the rest of the La Joya Palmview offensive line knew what they had to do: keep plugging away.

The Lobos did precisely that, picking up 464 yards on the ground in a 35-21 win against Mission High on Friday at Tom Landry Stadium.

“It was very intense. It was a war,” Espinoza said. “We were fighting in the trenches. We just had to play it safe and keep pounding the ball until we won the game.”

As usual, Joel Piña was the primary beneficiary of the Lobos’ work up front, picking up 283 yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries.

Both marked career bests for Piña, a first-year starter who ranks second in District 30-6A with 1,119 yards and 18 touchdowns for the year.

“The O-line was executing really good,” Piña said. “They opened up the holes. Once I saw them, I just blasted them.”

As Piña battled cramps during the second half, Palmview’s other backfield options stepped forward. Abel Torres finished with eight carries for 88 yards, Misal Guerra ran seven times for 57 yards and quarterback Andrew Puente had seven rushes for 29 yards.

The Lobos attempted just two passes for the game and none in the second half, instead battering the Eagles up front again and again.

“They’re good running backs, there’s no doubt, but what makes them as good as they are is their offensive line,” Mission High coach Mario Peña said. “There’s no doubt they won the battle of the trenches. I have to say this is the best offensive line we’ve gone up against.”

The Lobos boast an experienced group up front that towered over the Mission defense. The six primary cogs are all seniors: Espinoza, Arturo Gutierrez, Mario Hinojosa, Jorge Moreno, Alther Valdivia and Michael Rodriguez.

Coming into the night, Mission’s defense had allowed just 198.8 yards per game, the best mark in the district. Through five games, the Eagles had yielded just 390 total yards on the ground — a mark the Lobos eclipsed in one night.

Coach Margarito Requenez suspected Palmview would have an advantage up front, but he didn’t think it would be quite so pronounced.

“We kind of knew that was going to happen, but we didn’t know it would be this way,” Requenez said. “We just showed up tonight a tad bit better than they did.”

In doing so, the Lobos start District 30-6A play with a win, snapping a two game losing skid.

“It’s a big step and building block towards our goal of making the playoffs again,” Requenez said.

CHIPPY PLAY

Both sides seemed to get into it with one another repeatedly on Friday, leading to multiple personal foul penalties on each team.

Palmview’s Gutierrez was ejected from the game after he appeared to be yelling at an official following a holding call.

“They have to learn how to play with more emotion and control that emotion,” Requenez said. “They can’t let little things get to them. That’s one thing that we’re going to have to correct this week.”

PALMVIEW DEFENSE

The Lobos held Mission High to 261 yards of total offense, limiting a strong option running attack that had averaged 312.8 yards per game coming into the night.

Robert Martinez scored twice for the Eagles, and Eugenio Rosales scored once.

“We just played Lobo defense,” linebacker Luis Sanchez said. “That’s all we did, and that’s all we’re going to keep on doing.”

QB SHUFFLE

Just as William Arias looked to have locked down Mission’s starting quarterback job, Rudy Treviño got back in the mix on Friday. After Arias completed just 2 of 6 passes for 2 yards, Treviño entered during the second half and completed 5 of 8 attempts for 87 yards. The game marked Treviño’s first substantial action since Week 3.

“Rudy coming off the bench really showed me some composure and led us to 14 points,” Peña said. “Those are the things we have to evaluate and decide who you’re going to go with.”

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

Before every Edinburg High match, coach Deanna Dominguez pulls Elizabeth Olivarez aside to remind her of her role. As the Bobcats cycle other players in and out of the lineup, Olivarez is counted on to always be the defensive leader at libero.

“She’s the constant,” Dominguez said. “She has to direct traffic. She has to be a communicator. That’s a definite role that she embraces for us.”

The position wasn’t always natural to Olivarez, who Dominguez said was quiet and “almost meek” as a setter two years ago. Dominguez recalled Olivarez being apprehensive about the move to libero last year, but added that she’s since come to love the position.

“The last three years, I’ve seen her grow into a confident young lady,” Dominguez said. “She’s more assertive.”

Olivarez has been a major factor defensively, and she’s involved in every serve receive for the Bobcats.

Even when a miscommunication leaves Olivarez with an enormous area to cover, she doesn’t back down from the challenge, Dominguez said.

“She is one kid that will really make a hole in the floor before she lets that ball fall,” Dominguez said.

Defense and serve receive have been the biggest strengths for the Bobcats as a team, too. As the first half of district play nears its close, Edinburg High is one of three one-loss teams, along with PSJA Memorial and Edinburg North.

“I just think it’s up for grabs,” Dominguez said. “It’s going to come down to who wants it the most and who has prepared.”

ENDURANCE TEST

Just hours after running a 21:44.7 to finish fifth in the varsity race at the cross country Meet of Champions, Edinburg Vela freshman Dylann Guerra was back on the court with the volleyball team. In a crucial match against Sharyland Pioneer, Guerra notched a game-high 19 digs to help Vela earn a 3-1 win.

Saturdays like that Sept. 19 have been the norm for Guerra this season. The freshman has managed to balance cross country with volleyball, leading the SaberCats in digs and aces.

“She does a lot, and she’s got very good endurance,” coach Araceli Ortega said. “I think it’s kind of showing the type of work ethic for such a young kid to display. It’s been a big stride for us.”

Ortega said Guerra is almost constantly in the gym, following the footsteps of her older sister, who also played for Vela.

Guerra has been a stout defensive presence thanks to her speed, reactions and understanding of the game, Ortega said. The freshman has also been an effective jump server, one who is working to add different tempos.

“She’s just a good little volleyball player,” Ortega said. “She’s pretty well rounded. She’s put the time in to get better, and I think that’s what’s helping her right now.”

Jaida Muhammad, Chery Chavez and Nicole Avelar have also racked up digs for the SaberCats whenever the ball gets past the imposing block of Bianca Cortez and Nicole Castaneda. Offensively, Vela has leaned on Muhammad and Avelar for kills, with Julissa Cuellar doing most of the setting.

BATTLE FOR McALLEN

As the first half of District 30-6A play draws to a close, McAllen Memorial has established itself as the team to beat, having already earned wins over rivals McHi and McAllen Rowe.

Rowe sits in second after a win over McAllen High, completing an early reversal of last season’s standings. In 2014, McHi finished first, with Rowe second and Memorial third.

Memorial coach Lorena Lopez attributed the start to her team coming together with a mix of older and younger players.

“The fact that they’ve been able to mesh and learn from each other and respect each other has been huge,” Lopez said.

In preparation for the second half of district, Lopez has been analyzing film to figure out how Memorial is losing points and which rotations are working best.

Rowe and Memorial will meet again Oct. 9. McHi plays Rowe on Oct. 13, then faces Memorial on Oct. 20.

“The focus has shifted in my mind to, ‘Let’s strengthen where we’re weak,’” Lopez said. “Why work on what you’re strong at? Strengthen what you’re weak at. And that’s what we’re doing.”

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RGVSPORTS.COM TOP 10

1. Mission Veterans
2. Los Fresnos
3. McAllen Memorial
4. McAllen Rowe
5. McAllen High
6. Brownsville Veterans
7. Edcouch-Elsa
8. Brownsville Hanna
9. Edinburg High
10. Edinburg Vela

BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

A season after finishing 1-5 and being an afterthought in District 30-6A, Mission High coach Mario Peña believes his team can compete for a playoff spot.

When Peña looks around the district, he sees one top dog and a bunch of teams on par with the Eagles.

“The team that I feel is above everybody else is McAllen Memorial,” Peña said. “Thereafter, I kind of feel that it comes down to who shows up to play on Friday night and who doesn’t turn the ball over.”

Last week, those critical turnovers cost the Eagles a 1-0 start. Mission High took a 26-14 lead into the fourth quarter against McAllen High before giving up 22 straight points to close the game.

The Eagles fumbled and threw an interception during the fourth quarter, and Peña said Mission was also penalized after driving to the 1-yard line. Reviewing the film, Peña and his staff couldn’t find the infraction.

“We actually hurt ourselves more than (the Bulldogs) did,” Peña said. “Those are things that happen in football, and you have to move forward right now. You have to regroup.”

For Mission High, the bright side was outgaining McAllen High 452 to 215. Peña said the Eagles’ strong point has been the offensive line. Returning starters Jose De Leon and Christian Navejar are joined by newcomers Sebastian

Sanchez and Gabriel Ortiz. Oscar Rodriguez is also back after missing time due to injury last season.

“We are going to rely on our offensive line,” Peña said. “At this point, I think that we’re going to ground and pound. That opens up our passing.”

ROWE’S REBOUNDS

McAllen Rowe coach Paul Reyes isn’t sure how he wants to combat his team’s trend of slow starts.

“Maybe I need to give my halftime speech at the beginning of the game,” Reyes joked.

Whatever the cause and whatever the solution, it’s something Rowe is looking to address heading into the second week of the district season.

The Warriors have been behind at halftime of every game this year. Rowe trailed Edcouch-Elsa 14-0, Mercedes 13-12, Laredo United 44-6 and La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 19-7.

“I don’t know if it’s overly hyped, or nerves, or I don’t know. I really can’t give an answer,” Reyes said. “We’ve shown how we can play. We just have to be able to start a little bit better.”

The Warriors have typically bounced back well during the second half, outscoring opponents 95-40. That uptick in play has lifted the Warriors to 2-2, with wins against Mercedes and Juarez-Lincoln.

Reyes said he’s mentioned the trend to the players, but that he’s avoiding harping on it too much.

Halftime adjustments have rarely been a factor. Instead, the Warriors have simply played better down the stretch of games.

“We don’t want to make it a big issue and let these kids overly think about it,” Reyes said. “We just have to take advantage of every series.”

TIME TO REST

For two quarters last week, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln coach Tommy Garcia saw his team dominate McAllen Rowe, taking a 19-7 lead into the break. Then, injuries started to pile up. Quarterback Obed Fernandez went down with a pulled muscle. Running back Adonis Barillas tweaked his knee. A starting linebacker was lost to concussion. Center Daniel Gonzalez left with a high ankle sprain.

“It was like boom, boom, boom,” Garcia said. “It just snowballed.”

With Fernandez severely limited and his regular backup out with a concussion, the Huskies had to turn to their third option, Isai Galvan.

Running only a limited selection of plays, Juarez-Lincoln’s offense mustered just six points in the second half as Rowe stormed back for a 42-25 win.

“I think it would’ve been a totally different story if Obed was healthy,” Garcia said.

On Saturday, the Huskies had about 12 players in the training room. Thankfully for Juarez-Lincoln, the team is off this week, giving Garcia time to rest injured players and get potential fill-ins ready for new roles, if necessary.

“(The bye) couldn’t have come at a better time,” Garcia said.

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BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER

ALAMO — At Edinburg North volleyball’s team night prior to Tuesday’s match against PSJA Memorial, each player was assigned a different word to tape to the back of their sneakers. For sophomore Victoria Rogers, the word was “Fight.”

“I think it fit pretty nicely into this scenario,” Rogers said after the match.

Indeed, Edinburg North and PSJA Memorial battled point for point much of the night, with Rogers trading blow for blow with the Wolverines’ Kristi Gomez the whole way. In the end, it was Rogers who landed the final shot, smacking a cross-court kill to seal Edinburg North’s 25-23, 17-25, 25-23, 25-15 win.

The game-ending shot gave Rogers 21 kills to Gomez’s 20 and essentially leveled the race for the District 31-6A title as teams near the second round of play.

“It was just who had more heart this time,” Rogers said. “Everyone really wanted it. Everyone had really good talent and really good teams. It was just that we worked really hard for this.”

Rogers consistently established herself as an attacking threat early, scoring the Cougars’ first two kills in every game.

In addition to notching the match’s last point, Rogers smacked home the final kill of Game 3, tucking it just inside the back line.

She found success hitting to all parts of the court Tuesday and said she made an effort to mix it up against the Wolverines’ defense.

“We were picking everything up, so our setters had a great chance to set me up,” Rogers said. “They helped me get the kills.”

Ayissa Maldonado, Edinburg North’s primary setter, finished with 48 assists. Julie Villarreal also had a strong game for the Cougars with 16 kills and 21 digs. Rogers added 35 digs.

Maldonado said moving the ball around was key to the offensive output, and coach Adrian Cavazos often slid his middles to the outside to set up one-on-one hitting opportunities.

“I just think our offense outworked their defense today,” Cavazos said. “After a while, they didn’t know where the ball was going.”

On the other end, the Cougars could be confident the Wolverines would try to get the ball to Gomez. A sophomore and last season’s District 31-6A newcomer of the year, Gomez unleashed attacks from all over the court, showing why she’s led the team in kills in five of six district games.

“If the opportunity is there, we’re going to use her. And the opportunity was there quite a bit,” PSJA Memorial coach Angie Gonzales said. “She did well for us. She doesn’t stop fighting. She hustles after every ball. She pumps up our team.”

In scouting PSJA Memorial’s previous match against Weslaco High, Cavazos saw that Gomez was single-blocked for most of the game. So on Tuesday, he tried to throw a number of different looks at her — single blocks, double blocks, and even the occasional triple.

“I figured, try to make her uncomfortable,” Cavazos said. “Make her think about how many hands I’m going to see. … I think cumulatively, the effect got to her.”

The unusual heat of PSJA Memorial’s gym also seemed to get to the Wolverines, Cavazos and Gonzales agreed.
Cavazos felt North “outlasted” Memorial on Tuesday.

“We can’t say that the condition of the gym not having AC was the only factor,” Gonzales said, “but I definitely feel that it could have played a role in our performance.”

As a result, Edinburg North knocked off the last remaining unbeaten in District 31-6A. PSJA Memorial still sits atop the standings at 5-1, but Edinburg North and Edinburg High are both just behind at 4-1.

Edinburg North and Edinburg High finished tied atop last year’s standings, with PSJA Memorial in fifth.

“This definitely keeps us in, which is how we want it this year,” Maldonado said. “After having to share it last year, this year, since we’re mostly seniors, we want it. And we’re going to work for it.”

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Tuesday, Sept. 29

District 30-6A

McAllen Rowe def. La Joya High 25-7, 25-12, 25-22

Mission High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-6, 25-9, 25-13

McAllen Memorial def. La Joya Palmview 25-4, 25-12, 25-12

District 31-6A

Edinburg North def. PSJA Memorial 25-23, 17-25, 25-23, 25-15

Edinburg High def. Weslaco East 25-15, 25-16, 25-20

Weslaco High def. Edinburg Economedes

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna def. Brownsville Rivera 25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 22-25, 15-12

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Veterans Memorial 25-21, 25-17, 20-25, 25-15

Harlingen High def. Brownsville Lopez 25-13, 25-12, 25-14

San Benito def. Harlingen South 25-23, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10

District 31-5A

Sharyland Pioneer def. Roma 25-8, 25-13, 25-8

Sharyland High def. Valley View 25-22, 25-21, 25-22.

Mission Veterans def. Rio Grande City 25-3, 25-12, 25-9

District 32-5A

Donna High def. Donna North 25-17, 25-16, 19-25, 25-10

PSJA Southwest def. Mercedes

PSJA High def. Brownsville Porter 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 25-14

Edcouch-Elsa def. Brownsville Pace 25-22, 25-21, 25-10

District 32-4A

Zapata def. La Feria 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18

Port Isabel def. Progreso 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18

Hidalgo def. Raymondville 25-18, 25-10, 25-22

Rio Hondo def. Grulla 25-23, 25-22, 25-15

District 32-3A

Santa Rosa at Monte Alto, not reported

District 32-2A

Santa Maria def. San Perlita 18-25, 25-8, 20-25, 25-23, 15-6

San Isidro def. Lasara 23-25, 12-25, 25-15, 25-17, 15-12

Friday, Oct. 2

District 32-2A

San Isidro at San Perlita, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3

District 30-6A

McAllen High at La Joya Palmview, noon

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at La Joya High, noon

McAllen Memorial at Mission High, noon

District 31-6A

Weslaco East at Weslaco High, noon

PSJA North at Edinburg High, noon

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg North, 3 p.m.

District 32-6A

Brownsville Veterans Memorial at Brownsville Lopez, noon

Brownsville Hanna at Los Fresnos, noon

San Benito at Brownsville Rivera, noon

Harlingen High at Harlingen South, noon

District 31-5A

Valley View at Roma, noon

Rio Grande City at Sharyland High, noon

Edinburg Vela at Mission Veterans, 2 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Donna High, 2 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Brownsville Pace, 2 p.m.

Donna North at PSJA High, 3 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Mercedes, 3 p.m.

District 32-4A

La Feria at Port Isabel, 1 p.m.

Raymondville at Progreso, 2 p.m.

Hidalgo at Grulla, 2 p.m.

District 32-2A

La Villa at Santa Maria, noon

Tuesday’s Matches

District 30-6A

MCALLEN ROWE DEF. LA JOYA HIGH

25-7, 25-12, 25-22

LA JOYA HIGH — Veida Gonzalez 4 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces; Monica Garcia 3 kills, 2 blocks, 13 digs; Ashley Olivarez 3 kills, 1 ace, 3 blocks; Karina Casanova 3 kills, 2 aces, 1 block; Sarah Salinas 14 digs.

MCALLEN ROWE — Vanessa Lopez 23 assists, 3 kills, 13 digs; Mayda Garcia 11 kills, 9 assists, 13 digs, 3 blocks; Kayla Cruz 19 digs, 1 assist; Sophia Luna 4 kills, 1 assist, 2 aces, 6 digs; Ryela Rodriguez 3 kills, 3 aces, 4 blocks; Deanna Gonzalez 6 kills, 3 digs; Amanda Martinez 4 kills, 1 ace; Karina De La Rosa 2 kills, 10 digs, 1 ace

RECORDS — McAllen Rowe 32-8, 5-1; La Joya High 16-9, 1-3.

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. WESLACO EAST

25-15, 25-16, 25-20

EDINBURG HIGH — Dezi Marmolejo 4 kills, 3 aces, 10 digs, 20 assists; Marissa Arce 11 kills, 1 ace, 6 digs; Amber Reyes 5 kills, 1 dig; Tianna Howard 5 kills, 1 block, 1 dig; Yessi Molina 5 kills, 1 block, 1 ace, 13 assists, 11 digs; Elizabeth Olivarez 16 digs; Bree Peña 1 ace, 15 digs.

WESLACO EAST — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edinburg High 25-6, 4-1; Weslaco East 14-17, 1-4.

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. ROMA

25-8, 25-13, 25-8

SHARYLAND PIONEER — Desiree Garza 8 kills; Maddie Hatzold 7 kills, 2 aces, 3 digs, 1 block; Audrey Smith 7 kills; Sandra Solis 22 assists, 10 digs.

ROMA — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland Pioneer 22-10, 4-2; Roma 8-18, 1-4.

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. VALLEY VIEW

25-22, 25-21, 25-22

SHARYLAND HIGH — Caleigh Hausenfluck 16 digs, 4 aces; Melanie Lazos 14 assists; Maddie Garza 11 kills.

VALLEY VIEW — Not reported.

RECORDS — Sharyland High 12-16, 3-2; Valley View 17-11, 2-3.

MISSION VETERANS DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY

25-4, 25-12, 25-9

MISSION VETERANS — Gabby Lerma 16 kills, 10 digs; Daisy Reyna 7 kills; D.D. Ibarra 7 kills, 19 assists, 4 aces, 10 digs; Mariah Gonalez 20 digs; Karina Garcia 10 assists; Alex Jimenez 8 kills, 4 digs.

RIO GRANDE CITY — Not reported.

RECORDS — Mission Veterans 29-3, 5-0; Rio Grande City 0-5.

District 32-5A

DONNA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH

25-17, 25-17, 19-25, 25-10

DONNA NORTH — Evelyn De Leon 1 ace, 5 kills, 5 blocks; I’Dasha Sorrell 10 kills, 2 blocks; Alexis Olivarez 2 kills, 3 blocks.

DONNA HIGH — Not reported.

RECORDS — Donna High 18-5, 5-1; Donna North 10-16, 0-6.

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. BROWNSVILLE PACE

25-22, 25-21, 25-10

EDCOUCH-ELSA — Maddie Acevdeo 3 kills, 2 assists, 3 aces, 20 digs; Samantha Martinez 10 kills, 8 assists, 2 aces, 5 digs; Bianca Cardenas 3 kills, 1 assist; Ale Martinez 9 kills, 2 aces, 4 digs, 2 blocks; Jackie Alvarado 1 kill, 1 assist, 21 digs; Cassidy Martinez 10 kills, 2 assists, 2 digs; Paloma Ybarra 6 kills, 2 assists, 1 dig, 1 block.

BROWNSVILLE PACE — Not reported.

RECORDS — Edcouch-Elsa 23-9, 6-0; Brownsville Pace 7-12, 2-4.

PSJA HIGH DEF. BROWNSVILLE PORTER

25-20, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15

PSJA HIGH — Jackie Alanis 20 kills, 5 aces; Valeria Gonzales 24 assists.

BROWNSVILLE PORTER — Not reported.

RECORDS — PSJA High 12-7, 5-1; Brownsville Porter 10-17, 3-3.

District 32-4A

ZAPATA DEF. LA FERIA

20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 18-25

LA FERIA — Annette Ruiz 3 kills, 31 assists, 1 block, 16 digs; Belisa Vela 15 kills, 2 blocks, 11 digs; Anelli rodriguez 5 kills, 3 blocks; Sara Rodriguez 8 kills, 1 block; Camryn Lopez 3 kills, 4 blocks; Laura Torres 15 digs; Samantha Cisneros 5 digs; Donna Garcia 6 digs.

ZAPATA — Not reported.

RECORDS — La Feria 10-9, 5-1; Zapata 14-8, 6-0.