Yaneli Rocha had another outstanding all-around performance and Gabby Estringel dropped one bomb after another as McAllen High decimated Sharyland Pioneer 25-17, 25-22, 25-19 Saturday during a battle of the final two District 31-5A unbeaten squads.

McHi improved to 4-0, alone atop District 31-5A, and hasn’t dropped a set (12-0) during district play. The Bulldogs opened district Sept. 3 with a 3-0 sweep over two-time defending district champion Sharyland. Pioneer is now 4-1 overall and those three sets against McHi are the only ones the Diamondbacks have dropped during district play. Sharyland and Pioneer face one another at Sharyland on Tuesday. Meanwhile McHi hosts Edinburg Vela, another 31-5A playoff hopeful.

Rocha, the Bulldogs floor general is a human ball of energy. She dished out a whopping 52 assists to go with three kills, two blocks and a pair of digs. She is closing in on 700 assists for the season, currently at 622. She ran a fast offense, sending the ball to all of her hitters and keeping Pioneer off balance.

All three of Rocha’s kills came on second-ball attacks from the lefty setter. Having an offensive threat at the setter position will hold blockers for just a nano-second, but it’s enough to cause disruption – and possible gaps for hitters to blast through.

“I try to throw off their offense and defense and it worked a lot of the times today,” Rocha said.

Twenty of Rocha’s assists were kills from the arm of Estringel, the Bulldogs’ powerful lefty right side hitter. While most of her attacks came from her hammering swings, Estringel also showed some variety and touch, tipping to open spots on occasions, pulling out some roll shots and pushing a ball to the deep corner for a kill after seeing the area was wide open. The junior added two blocks, one ace and one assist as well.

“We made a big change in our offense due to everybody else’s hitters and we switched some things up and it has been working in our favor,” Rocha said. “I’m just proud of all these girls.

Other than trailing 9-5 in the first set, the match was almost entirely McHi. They controlled the middle, usually one of Pioneer’s biggest strengths, and didn’t allow their hitters to get into any rhythm, partially because of the deluge of attacks McHi threw at them.

“How good their middles are was a big concern, they are so consistent and their team is so good defensively,” McHi head coach Estefania Portillo said. “It’s about tying to find anything in their defense, which was very difficult.”

McHi showed the biggest variety of offensive schemes this season. Rocha took more second-ball attacks and the Bulldogs used a double-quick middle attack often and efficiently, moving the ball too quickly often times for Pioneer to set up a block.

Izabella Palacios and Karely Cantu both reached double figured in kills with 11 and 10 respectively and Isabella Rivera added eight kills, a pair of blocks and one ace. Libero Kaylen Ottmers tallied four aces, three coming in a row at one point.

Tuesday’s volleyball match between city rivals Mission Veterans and Mission High started just a bit more than 90 minutes late due to poor scheduling by host Mission.

When it finally started, the visiting Patriots did what they could to make up for the long-delayed start, getting their business done with a 25-15, 27-25, 25-16 sweep to improve to 4-0 in District 30-5A play.

The Patriots’’ win sets them up for a battle of the district’s unbeaten against Palmviewon Tuesday  if both teams win their matches on Saturday. Veterans hosts Laredo Nixon at noon and Palmview travels to PSJA High for a non-district match. Both teams are 4-0 in district and Palmview dethroned Mission Veterans as long-time defending district champions last year.

Senior Sophia Pacheco paced the Patriots highly improved attack, cranking out a game-best 18 kills and virtually being unstoppable when Veterans could put together a good pass, something they struggled with throughout the night. When Pacheco got those sets, however, she was money, often times finding a piece of empty court.

Freshman sensation Mady Perez added 12 kills and sophomore middle Delilah Cantu added 10 kills.

“Everybody needs to understand their role. If you’re not a go-to player, you have to wait for those sets,” Mission Veterans head coach Diana Lerma said. “You can’t get upset when balls are going to your go-to players and when you get your chances you have to come through. Mady and Sophia are a very good combination, and Delilah was there ready to put balls away too.

“That’s when we broke away in the first and third games, when they were all working together.”

Mission had fewer unforced errors throughout the night but both teams had long strings of sloppy play, including at the end of the second set. Mission held set point at 24-23 to tie the match at one set apiece but over the course of the final points the teams combined for a double, two service errors and an illegal rotation. Cantu then blocked a Mission attack and Patriots grabbed a 2-0 lead.

The Patriots, who seem to thrive on their organized chaos, something Lerma refers to as “jungle ball,” found their groove to kick off the third set and Mission helped with four attack errors, giving the visitors a commanding 13-4 third-set lead.

The three-headed offensive attack by Mission Veterans is something that has been on and off this season, but when it’s on, it’s effective as Pacheco and the Patriots showed Tuesday.

“My mentality was to come to the game thinking we had already won because this was a once in a lifetime thing because we haven’t played Mission in a district game in a while,” Pacheco said. “It was a big eye-opener but the key was to come in with a good mentality.”

The Patriots did exactly that. After having to wait extra long to get onto the court, they went to work right away. Perez opened with three kills in the first four points and Cantu added a quick kill in the middle and followed it up with a thunderous shot on an overpass, gifted from the Eagles. They pushed their lead to 12-5 in the first set on back-to-back shots from Pacheco.

They are so young, but they have so much talent.” Pacheco said especially about Perez and Cantu. “It helps me knowing they have my back and that they can kill the ball as well. I just wanted to keep swinging and hitting the spots on the floor.”

.

 

Reported scores around the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend area from Tuesday’s high school volleyball matches. Coaches, text your results – with district and overall records – to (956) 821-3834 or email to [email protected].

District 29-5A

CC VETERANS DEF. CC RAY 25-13; 25-8; 25-13

CC RAY (2-14, 0-4): Destanee Hargis, 7 kills, 19 digs, 1 ace; Sophia Gomez 2 kills, 4 assists; Iliana Garcia 6 assists; Hylaria Lopez 10 digs; Leann Lopez 1 ace; Savannah Vela 1 block

CC VETERANS (21-4, 3-0): Nya White 11 kills, 2 blocks; Kianna Lanton 6 kills; Kayla Chavez 18 assists; Paige Ortiz 7 assists; Lily Garza 11 digs; Jazzlynn Escamilla 11 digs; Kaylee Worthington 3 aces, 2 blocks;

District 30-5A

PALMVIEW DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY 17-25, 25-20, 25-17, 12-25, 15-11
Palmview (13-8, 4-0): Valerie Gana 15 assists, 6 digs; Arizona Gauna 1 ace, 1 kill, 19 assists, 19 digs; Yanelli Castaneda 1 kill, 4 digs; Kylie Cantu 4 aces, 12 kills, 12 digs; 3 blocks; Camila Hinostrosa 5 kills, 1 block, 5 digs; Jessica Arevalo 1 kill, 1 assist; 42 digs; Jaylen Rosales 15 digs; Miley Zieske 1 ace, 17 kills, 31 digs; Ayleen Trevino 2 kills, 2 digs

Rio Grande City: Not Provided

JUAREZ-LINCOLN DEF. ROMA 25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12
Juarez-Lincoln (1-2 in district): Kimberly Reyna 2 aces, 12 kills, 1 block, 2 digs; Katelyn Garza 3aces, 4 kills, 27 digs; Alexandra Marroquin 7aces, 4 kills, 23 digs, 4 blocks; Stacy Jimenez 1 ace, 7kills, 8 digs; Sophie Peña 1 ace, 6 kills, 9 digs; April Marroquin 3 kills, 16 digs, 39 assist .

Roma: Stats not provided

MISSION VETERANS DEF. MISSION HIGH 25-15, 27-25, 25-16
Vets (19-4, 4-0): Sophia Pacheco 18 kills; Delilah Cantu 10 kills; Mady Perez 12 kills
Mission: Stats not provided

 

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. MCALLEN MEMORIAL 25-20, 25-22, 25-11
Pioneer (21-3, 4-0): Florencia Curiel- 15 digs, 1 assist, 2 aces; Scarlet Verjel- 10 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace, 2 dig; Elle Hill- 6 kills, 1 block; Izabella Cano- 7 kills, 7 digs, 1 ace, .5 block; Itzel Hernandez- 9 kills, .5 block; Ava Saenz- 5 kills, 4 dig; Hailey Botello- 32 assists, 10 digs, 1 block, 1 kill; Danica Gonzalez- 2 digs, 1 ace; Ashley Cervantes- 6 digs, 1 ace

Memorial: Not provided

MCALLEN HIGH DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST 25-8, 25-12, 25-14
McAllen (18-10, 3-0): Kaylen Ottmers 7 digs 2 aces 2 assists; Karely Cantu 7 kills 2 blocks; Bella Rivera 7 kills 2 aces; Yaneli Rocha 1 kill 2 digs 2 aces 24 assists; Gabriela Estringel 7 kills 1 block; Giulliana Trevino 3 kills; Izabella Palacios 4 kills; Mackenzie Davidson 1 block; Braelyn Martinez 5 digs; Katelyn Vaden 3 digs 2 aces; Alyesha Morin 1 dig

Southwest (1-2 in district): Not provided

SHARYLAND DEF. MCALLEN ROWE 24-26, 25-19, 25-12, 23-25, 15-12
SHARYLAND (24-3, 2-1): Kenisha Martinez 8 kills; Pamela Pena 9 kills, 2 blocks; Kassandra De La Garza 11 kills, 40 assists, 2 blocks, 2 aces; Maria Rodriguez 2 kills, 2 blocks, 4 aces; Jayleen Berlanga 24 assists; Barbara Pena 1 blocks; Ivana Adame 2 blocks

ROWE (21-5, 1-3): Laana Palacios 19 assists, 2 aces, 9 digs; Aubry Castro 1 ace, 7 digs, 22 assists; Hailey Gonzalez 11 kills, 10 digs; Brianna Sanchez 11 kills, 1 assist, 10 digs, 2 blocks; Kendyl Keenan 13 kills, 2 digs, 3 blocks; Katelynn Tarbutton 6 kills, 1 dig, 3 blocks; Audrina Perez 3 kills, 3 digs; Andrea Gutierrez 1 kill, 1 block; Lynette Palacios 3 kills, 3 digs

EDINBURG VELA DEF. PSJA NORTH 25-10, 25-12, 25-8

Vela (22-5, 2-1): Abby Zamora 6 kills, 10 assists, 9 points, 2 aces; Lauren Hanson 5 kills, 17 assists, 18 points, 5 aces; Maddy Luedecker 10 kills, 3 digs, 8 points, 2 aces; Mia De La Garza 23 digs, 6 points, 1 ace; Savanah Rivera 3 kills, 3 blocks; Daya Meza 6 kills, 1 block; Fernanda Valdez 2 assists, 5 digs; Abry Ysquierdo 7 kills, 2 digs, 3 points, 1 ace; Gloria Salinas 5 digs, 2 points

PSJA North: Stats not provided

District 32-5A

BROWNSVILLE RIVERA DEF. DONNA 25-11, 25-10, 25-6
Donna (1-3 in district): Elisa Gonzalez 4 Kills; Alyson Perez 6 Assists; Desiree Guerra 1 Ace

Rivera (2-2 in district): Melannie Garza 18 kills, Xandria Johnson 6 kills; Gianna Cantu 3 aces 27 assists 6 Digs; Briana Ibarra 7 kills 3 digs; Cassandra Pardo 6 kills 4 digs

HARLINGEN SOUTH DEF. MERCEDES 25-15, 25-15, 25-15
South (13-12, 4-0): Stats not provided
Mercedes (1-3 in district): Stats not provided

District 32-3A

IDEA Frontier def. IDEA SPORTS PARK 25-4, 25-7, 25-9.
Frontier (14-6, 4-0): Stats not provided
Sports Park: Stats not provided

 

 

 

District 32-2A

LA VILLA DEF. PREMONT 25-13, 21-25, 18-25, 25-16, 15-10
La Villa (9-5, 1-0):
Rainee Cantu 10 digs 16pts 5kills 2 blocks; Dalilah Alaniz 20 assists 12 pts; Evelynne Martinez 5 digs 2 blocks 4 kills 3 pts
Premont: Not provided

Non-District scores
EDINBURG HIGH DEF. BROWNSVILLE VETERANS 25-17, 25-19, 25-21
EDINBURG (14-10): Ellie Garza – 16 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces; Jackie Garcia – 14 digs, 18 kills, 1 ace, 1 block; Makayla Olvera 26 digs, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 aces, 15 kills; Amanda Aguirre – 1 kill; Melanie Perez 12 digs, 35 assists; Emma Pantoja- 2 digs, 4 kills, 2 blocks; Danika Hernandez – 6 digs; Briseis Cortez – 2 digs; Giselle Sanchez – 2 digs, 1 assist, 4 kills, 2 aces, 1 block

VETERANS: Not provided

 

Reported scores and stats from Sept. 5-across the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend. Coaches, text your results to (956) 821-3834 or email [email protected] and please include overall and district records. Thanks!

 

NON-DISTRICT
SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. PSJA HIGH 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19

SHARYLAND (23-3): Kenisha Martinez 17 kills, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 1 ace; Maria Rodriguez 3 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace; Ivana Adame 2 kills, 1 block; Kassandra De La Garza 14 kills, 13 assists,4 blocks; Isabella Mendoza 2 kills; Sophia Mendoza 1 kill; Jayleen Berlanga 12 assists, 2 aces

PSJA HIGH (14-10): Information not provided

Other non-district score
Economedes def. La Feria in four sets, 3-1

DISTRICT 32-5A
BROWNSVILLE LOPEZ DEF. BROWNSVILLE RIVERA 18-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11.
LOPEZ (18-7, 3-0): Jasmine Cortinas 18 kills, 33 digs, 10 aces; Jenny Shank 13 kills, 22 digs, 2 aces; Paola Solis 7 kills, 5 blocks, Keren Rangel 5 kills, 4 blocks; Chalene Granado 18 assists.
RIVERA (16-8, 1-2): Not provided

DONNA HIGH DEF. DONNA NORTH 25-13, 25-14, 25-23 (no other information provided)

DISTRICT 31-5A
SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. PSJA NORTH 25-13, 25-12, 25-4

PIONEER (20-3, 3-0): Florencia Curiel: 5 digs, 2 aces, 2 assists; Izabella Cano: 7 digs, 4 kills, 8 aces; Hailey Botello: 12 digs, 19 assists, 1 kill, 1 ace; Elle Hill: 5 kills; Itzel Hernandez: 5 kills, 1 block; Scarlet Verjel: 6 kills, 2 aces; Ava Saenz: 7 kills, 3 digs, 1 block; Sofia Chapa: 2 aces; Ashley Cervantes: 4 digs; Danica Gonzalez: 2 digs
PSJA NORTH: Not provided

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST 25-11, 25-16, 25-17

MEMORIAL (16-6, 2-1): Larae Jones 4 kills, 8 digs; Karly Bazan 4 kills, 2 digs; Ana Davila 5 kills, 6 digs; Jozlyn Rodriguez 1 aces, 16 assist , 5 digs; Juliet Trevino 2 aces, 8 digs; Danara Cardenas 3 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs; Emma Farris 3 digs

PSJA SOUHWEST: Not provided

McALLEN HIGH DEF. McALLEN ROWE 25-18, 25-17, 25-13

McHI (17-10, 2-0): Kaylen Ottmers 1 kill, 10 digs; Karely Cantu 8 kills; Bella Rivera 10 kills 1 ace; Yaneli Rocha 3 kills 1 ace 40 assists; Gabriela Estringel 10 kills 2 aces 1 block; Giulliana Trevino 5 kills 1 block; Izabella Palacios 8 kills; Mackenzie Davidson 1 block; Braelyn Martinez 5 digs; Katelyn Vaden 5 digs 1 ace; Alyesha Morin 2 digs

ROWE (21-3, 2-0): Leana Palacios 8 digs, 4 asists; Aubry Castro 8 assists, 11 digs; Hailey Gonzalez 4 kills, 1 assist, 2 digs, 2 blocks; Brianna Sanchez 5 kills, 13 digs, 2 blocks; Kendyl Keenan 4 kills, 1 block; Katelyn Tarbutton 1 kill, 1 dig, 7 blocks; Audrina Perea 2 digs; Andrea Gutierrez 1 kill, 9 digs, 1 block

DISTRICT 30-5A
MISSION DEF. LAREDO MARTIN 25-14, 25-11, 25-11

MISSION (16-5, 2-0): Breanna Longoria 6 kills 3 blocks; Madison Garcia 3 kills 1 block; Joslyn Rodriguez 26 assists 2 blocks; Kayla Alaniz 9 kills; Vanessa Espinoza 7 kills; Victoria Guzman 2 kills 1 block 1 ace serve

MARTIN: Not provided

MISSION VETERANS DEF. RIO GRANDE CITY 25-16, 25-22, 25-12

VETERANS (18-4, 3-0): Sophia Pacheco 10 kills, 4 digs, 2 blocks; Mady Perez 11 kills, 1 ace, 19 digs; Delilah Cantu 9 kils, 3 assists, 5 digs, 3 blocks; Evioria Garcia 1 kill, 5 assists, 26 digs; Heather Flores 2 kills, 27 assists, 9 digs

RGC: Not provided

DISTRICT 29-5A
FLOUR BLUFF DEF. CC MOODY 25-9, 25-13, 25-14
FLOUR BLUFF (17-12, 3-0): Lola Fisher 21 assists, 6 digs, 4 aces; Maggie Croft 15 kills, 6 digs, 1 block, 3 aces; Kristina Rodriguez 10 assists, 2 aces; Ashby McCracken 6 assists; Kate Croft 9 kills; Alyssa Thornton 6 kills; Emily Eggleston 6 kills; Addison Mayo 25 digs; Hollie Santon 2 aces

MOODY (14-9, 0-3): Aubrey Guerra 7 assists, 11 digs, Alannah Gonzales 2 assists, 1 ace; Emery Johnson 6 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace; Delilah Flores 3 kills; Julia Perales 12 digs, Hanna J. 12 digs; Brianna Perez 8 digs; Allerina Martinez 1 block

CC VETERANS DEF. GOLIAD 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 24-26, 15-10

VETERANS (20-4, 2-0): Kiana Lanton 23 kills, 1 block; Nya White 12 kills, 3 blocks; Lilyana Garza 25 digs, 2 aces Paige Ortiz 13 digs, 15 assists; Kayla Chavez 39 assists, 4 aces

GOLIAD: Maevyn Wunsch 23 kills, 24 digs, 1 block, 1 ace; Addison Yendrey 21 kills; Isabel Sanchez 12 kills; 12 digs, 48 assists; Karolynn Youngblood 39 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace; Ella Ulbricht 1 block; Hayle Russell 1 block; Sierra Arriazola 1 ace.

 

Dolores Olguin-Trevino remembers when she left Brownsville Hanna, she had 351 wins.

Not much of one for numbers, she just left it there. She never even expected a 352.

Not long after she returned to the sideline, this time coaching St. Joseph Academy, someone told her she had hit the 400 mark.

“I hadn’t been dwelling on numbers, so it was a surprise,” she said. “I was done coaching and sat out a year.”

The idea of starting a program from scratch and building it until they reached the high school level, however, kept calling to her.

“I ended up putting everything I had into it and am still doing that – head, heart and gut,” she said last week days after eclipsing the 500-win mark. “It’s really not about the numbers but about being successful – of course that will include those numbers.”

It hasn’t been an easy task. Olguin-Trevino recalls literally begging teams to play them when they first started. Now, her pre-district schedule spans the Rio Grande Valley as the Bloodhounds play UIL teams in Classes 4A through 6A and from neighboring Brownsville schools to Roma, the other side of the Valley, some 120 miles away.

She has turned the fledgling program into competitors. The Bloodhounds recently defeated Hidalgo in the finals of the Hidalgo tournament in the best of three sets. The host Pirates are a perennial playoff team in Class 4A.

But now, as the St. Joseph Bloodhounds prepare for the TAPPS District 4-5A season, the road trips are as tough mentally, and maybe physically, as the games themselves. All games are bus trips between three and four hours long each way.

“It’s tough – they have four hours on the bus and most of time they’re not awake,” Olguin-Trevino said. “They probably stay up late thinking they have a four-hour ride, but then to get up out of that and get going, it’s tough. I don’t like it but it is what it is and we have to do what we have to do.”

Yvannia Sosa, Seanah Martinez and Gali Martinez pace the Bloodhounds’ offense while Carmina Tijerina, the libero, is an anchor on defense. In the semis and finals of the Hidalgo Tournament, Tijerina tallied 44 digs and 10 aces.

“There are just a few things we need to work on to solidify everything,” Olguin-Trevino said. “We’ve been letting everyone play heading into district but now it’s time to solidify. It’s a good start for us right now (11-3) and we want to keep it going.”

“They said they want to host a playoff game so we started looking at what it would take,” Olguin-Trevino said. “It means being district champ or finishing second and that what we have to work for that.

“I think we are perfectly capable of doing it. It comes down to the mental toughness. We have the physical ability and athleticism. They don’t even know how athletic they really are. If we stay the course we should finish first or second.”

Olguin-Trevino said having a home playoff game could be the final step in her journey – but she thought that after 351 as well. To date, she has 26 players play college volleyball. She started the St. Joseph program with two teams and has grown it to six – three high school and three middle school teams.

“I would like to see these girls go farther than that first round and go as far as they can,” the coach said. “I’ve got the girls and if they can do it this year, I think that this year is it for me. I’ve been thinking about it for a few years. It’s tough, physically and the heat, it’s draining me. I want to use my arms when I’m 80 so I had to give up hitting balls – physically, I want to be able to take care of myself when I’m 80. But as long as I’m here, I’m still giving it my all and the girls do that too.”

McHi unveiled its version of shock and awe on Tuesday, unleashing 46 kills, playing absolute staunch defense and defeating two-time District 31-5A champion Sharyland convincingly 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 at McAllen High.

Lefty Gabby Estringel hammered away for a team high in kills and digs, with 15 apiece while middles Isabella Rivera and Karely Cantu added 12 and 11 kills respectively in what may have been the most powerful performance of the season from any Valley team.

It was McHi’s district opener, playing a team that was without its second leading hitter Pamela Pena.

The Bulldogs relentlessly attacked. Their passing was crisp and setter Yaneli Rocha found her hitters for 38 assists to go with nine digs and one solo block. Their middles also found huge openings along the front row corners along the net, taking advantage of it for easy points on multiple occasions. Rivera was her consistent self, tallying 28 attacks with just two attack errors. Cantu, who has been looking to find her consistency to go with her power game, did just that. She also showed a soft touch, often finding those open spots along the front row to gently drop the ball into.

“We came in with the mindset that we had to give it our all and work as a team and that’s what we did,” Cantu said. “The offense executed but I have to give it up to our defense, we couldn’t have done that without them.

“We ran the middles a lot and that helped us – they left those spots open and we tipped there all day. I was just excited for our last first district game and it was exciting to mix things up.”

When the middles weren’t doing their thing, Estringel was making craters on the opposition’s side. She hit from the right side, from the middle and from the back row, showcasing her ability to play all around.

Libero Kaylen Ottmers stood like a human backboard and was in perfect position especially to receive Sharyland’s Kenisha Martinez and her hard-hitting blows. Ottmers finished the day with 25 error-free receptions and 15 digs to go along with a team-best 13 points. Braelyn Martinez also kept points alive, diving into the far reaches of the gym to make saving plays. She and Ottmers also tallied four of McHi’s six aces with two apiece.

“Kaylen takes a lot of pride being the reigning libero of the year for the district,” head coach Estefania Portillo said. “She really was ready for that matchup for today. She read very well tonight and played great defense.”

After McHi took the first set, there was never a “feel” that the Rattlers would battle back. Martinez and outstanding hitter/setter Kassandra De La Garza put together short runs on a few occasions, De La Garza getting points from smashes down the line, McHi’s defense, and quick turnaround offense didn’t allow the dynamic duo from going on any long point-scoring spurts.

Sharyland falls to 21-4 overall and 1-1 in District 31-5A. It was the first time they were swept in a district match since Oct. 23, 2021, also by McHi. The Rattlers face non-district opponent PSJA High at noon Saturday. McHi improved to 16-10 overall and 1-0 in district. The Bulldogs travel to McAllen Rowe at noon Saturday.

1. Sharyland High – 21-1. 3-0 in tournament championships and a 17-match win streak. Two-time defending district champions and with the best 1-2 punch in the Valley with Kenisha Martinez and Kassandra De La Garza. Traveling to McHi on Tuesday The Rattlers are 63-5 during the past two seasons. Until someone knocks them from the top of the hill – and convincingly – they’ll continue to reign as queens of the court.

 

 

2. Sharyland Pioneer – 17-3. Playing without arguably their most dynamic player, Aleena Zuniga, the Diamondbacks, as always, are just plain dangerous. They may not be the most exciting team you watch, but that’s because they execute to perfection and make the easy look easy. They have a varied offense, solid middles and on of the top two liberos in the land.

3. 

4. McAllen High – 15-10. Took some bumps and bruises in one of the nation’s largest, and toughest tournaments – Volleypalooza. It’s an event with multiple Div. 1 players and state champions from beyond Texas. During their first match, which they won, the setter on the opposing side was a 6-foot-2 Penn St. commit but hung with everyone. Facing Sharyland on Tuesday. The key to their district play is how well their middles will play – they can dominate or sometimes hide in the shadows. When they dominate – good night.

4. 

   Edinburg Vela – 19-5. Just a little bit away from going good to great. The SaberCats could be a darkhorse in the 31-5A title race if they can gain consistency. They have height, experience and great setters. Their hitters just need to swing more and swing harder and take advantage of being able to look over the defense.

McAllen Rowe – 20-2. The Warriors won’t overpower anyone. But everything is solid – from their usual impeccable defense to a variety of hitters. When Breanna Sanchez gets on a role, they need to ride her to the victory. If one of their other attackers can step it up a bit, it will go a long way in make them a legitimate playoff-run contender.

Los Fresnos – 19-7. The Falcons started the season 3-4, looking for an identity. Looks like they’ve found it, going 16-3 since then. Should run the table for a district title, especially if coach Anissa Lucio keeps them improving.

7. McAllen Memorial – . The Mustangs are looking for that one big win. So far, they’ve won the ones they should with a young team, and look better every time out. Coach Raul Castillo has them on the right path, but their development may take a little while.

8. 

   Mission High – 15-5. The Eagles don’t necessarily have a superstar to carry them, but they have synergy and chemistry – and they are so stubborn when it comes to letting a ball drop. They will challenge for the district title. If they develop a big-time go-to player, they could be the favorite

9. 

   Mission Veterans – 16-4. The Patriots will go as far as Mady Perez can carry them. The freshman star already has more than 160 kills on the season (a 4.7 average) and she’s still holding back, respecting the upperclassmen. Don’t worry, head coach Diana Lerma will make sure her young star unleashes fury as district gets under way. Look out, though, defending district champ Palmview and a surprising Rio Grande City won’t be pushovers

PSJA High – 13-10. Led by stud hitter Julianna Guajardo, other Bears need to step up if they are to win a fourth straight district title. The Bears lost an all-star lineup but Guajardo and middle Kamila Figuero need to take over as vociferous leaders. If they do, and the others continue to develop, 31-6A will be an interesting race.

Sharyland High head coach Lydia De Leon said she wasn’t as concerned with what a streaking Corpus Christi Veterans team would bring to the championship match of the Sharyland ISD Volleyball Tournament as much as how she wanted her hitters to perform.

They performed. Kenisha Martinez, Pamela Pena and Kassandra De La Garza combined for 27 kills – 11, nine and seven respectively as the hottest team in the Valley – and maybe the most sizzling from Corpus Christi  to the Texas-Mexico border – won their third straight tournament championship with a 25-23, 25-17 victory over the Eagles. CC Vets had won 13 of their past 14 matches coming into the final and had secured a pair of tournament titles in Floresville and during their host SpikeFest event. They are 13-4 overall.

“We wanted to see what our hitters could do off the block, finally being able to play a team that our blockers had to adjust to,” De Leon said. “We want to continue to be more dynamic, being able to move the ball around the beam, having multiple threats.”

Sharyland, which seems to thrive during tournaments, won their third tournament of the season, also winning McAllen High’s Poundfest for the second straight year and the Sinton Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Martinez was named the tournament MVP, giving her three tourney title this season. She has won four straight MVPs in the Sinton tournament as well.

De Leon, in her first year coaching at the varsity level, has watched and developed a squad that seemed to have a few question marks when the season began – like who else would step up with their two stars – De La Garza and Martinez. Pena and freshman setter Jayleen Berlanga have been two of those answers.

Pena, a sophomore, seems already prepared to take the torch when the seniors graduate. She is second on the squad with 3.1 kills per set, only behind Martinez’s 4.1 kills per set. She is another serious threat from the outside.

Berlanga is stepping more and more into the setter role and looking comfortable doing sp. She not only provides relief for De La Garza, but allows her more opportunities to swing her heavy hammer-like left hand and keep Sharyland in a 6-2 instead of a 5-1 on offense.

Sharyland has defeated Vets the past two years in the playoffs. Vets, who was swept early in the season in the same gym against Pioneer, exacted their revenge in the semifinals, winning in three sets to set up the finals matchup.

While balance is great, come crunch time, having a go-to player to carry the enormous load down the stretch in a tight game is critical.

Vets rallied from a 22-18 deficit in the first set behind some tight rope serving and the Eagles grabbed a 23-22 lead. That when Martinez and De La Garza did what they’re expected to do. First, Martinez landed a kill on the back line to tie the game at 23. De La Garza followed it with a thunderous kill down the line to set up game point, which happened on a Martinez ace.

“Having multiple threats sometimes can take the pressure of Kenisha and Kassandra. Knowing if they are having a hard day, or are getting blocked, we can send the ball to the other side,” De Leon said. “We were all just very excited to see a team we might face again in the playoffs.

“(Kenisha) is somebody where if she doesn’t have the ball, she’s still out go-to with her voice and leadership. Even when she’s not in the front or part of the play, she’s a go-to in the back leading the team.”

Sharyland improved to 21-3 and it 1-0 in District 31-5A. The Rattlers return to district play Tuesday at McAllen High, a district foe expected to battle for a high seed in the playoffs and, possibly, a district title. Shary won a tournament match against the Bulldogs, two sets to one, earlier this season. The Rattlers are 21-3 overall and have won 17 straight.

“We won’t forget about what happened in this tournament but will use it as fuel to keep going,” De Leon said. “We don’t want to get complacent or to be content – we have McHi on Tuesday.”