NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — The second set was tied 22-22. McAllen Rowe’s lead had disappeared. The McAllen Memorial Mustangs wouldn’t be denied in that game or any other game during Saturday afternoon’s match at Rowe High School.

The Mustangs got back in the driver’s seat during the second frame and eventually put the set away 27-25 on a Jocelynn Everage hit that rolled along the net and fell in the Warriors’ half.

Memorial held strong against Rowe to win in a sweep 25-16, 27-25, 26-24 and improve to 7-0 in district play, including a win over each opponent in 30-6A. Rowe fell to 6-1 in league play.

Junior setter Sydney Marburger led the match with 36 assists. She said her team knew that slowing Rowe’s primary offensive threat, senior Jackelyn Alanis, would be paramount.

“We knew they were going to come out swinging, especially Jackie,” Marburger said. “We know she swings really hard. All the defensive players made my job really easy, personally, because we had such great passes on her serves, on her swings. Everyone on my team was just ready. Low and ready for the ball.”

Alanis still had some success, but her struggles were amplified by her volume of swings. Some uncharacteristic hits into the net during the first set had a lot to do with the lone lopsided score.

She finished with 20 kills, four aces and 17 digs. She was honored during the match for reaching her 2,000th kill in three years with the Warriors. After the game, she said her team usually takes a while to get going. Saturday took a little too long.

“It’s very important, because we know she’s a great hitter, a strong hitter and a leader on her team,” Memorial’s Everage said after the win. “We know that with that, we have to not only combat it, but go full force ahead.”

Kills by Rowe’s secondary attack were hard to come by. Anna Honrubia had seven kills and 13 digs. Jewel Palomo led the team with 14 assists.

“We forced on our defense and where Jackie was at,” senior Valeria Trevino said. “She gave us a clue where she was going to hit, because she was facing that way. We just had to be ready to pick up the ball and, from there, play it out.”

Memorial’s attack was varied, and that was the winning recipe. Everage led the way with 19 kills. Trevino added 11 kills. With block kills, three aces and plenty of errors from the Warriors, the Mustangs rarely trailed.

“We have so many great hitters, so it’s so awesome that we have a lot of options, cause they can distract their blockers,” Marburger said. “Everyone’s able to put the ball away. Every single one of our hitters is capable of putting it down.”

The Mustangs won thanks to digging by committee.

Sydney Marburger led the team with 15 digs. Libero Sophie Villarreal added 11 digs, while Everage had 10. Dylann Guerra, Macy Henderson and Trevino pitched in with nine each.

“We don’t want to let anything drop, so we just hustle for everything,” Trevino said.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — McAllen Rowe made every yard a battle and shut down crosstown rival McAllen High on Friday night at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Warriors weathered four turnovers and a 35-minute lightning delay to top the Bulldogs 36-3 in the district opener for both teams, marking two straight wins in the rivalry series after historic dominance from McHi.

Rowe put up 336 yards of total offense while limiting McHi to 143.

Senior running back Lalo Bosquez, who played defense prior to this season, said the Warriors owned the game physically and psychologically.

“I don’t know how to explain this, man, but they were scared,” Bosquez said. “McHi, they didn’t want to hit us anymore, both ways. They didn’t know what to do. They were scared. It feels good. I’m just so happy. I knew we were going to come out. We like contact. That’s what we are.”

Bosquez started the scoring with a 27-yard run that he bounced to the outside. He added another run from the goal line and finished with an even 100 yards, plus the pair of touchdowns.

The contrast of the power back Bosquez and speedy sophomore Lorenzo Lopez worked, with both players scoring on the ground. Lopez’s touchdown went 22 yards through a large gap up the middle.

“He’s more quick with it,” Lalo Bosquez said of his fellow running back. “They get tired and stuff. I get in there and just pound it pound, it pound. Our O-line is dominating now. They’re not going to stop us no more. They’re scared of us.”

Aside from just the pregame delay, the game never found a comfortable pace. Rowe had nine penalties accepted for 85 yards, including negating a punt return that would have resulted in points. McHi had eight penalties for 59 yards.

“They could bark all they want, but Rowe got this,” Bosquez said.

The Warriors’ defensive line, led by Jesse Garza, Omar Villarreal and Jacob Karr, caused 11 negative run plays.

“It’s amazing to only let up three points. We worked hard these two weeks,” Garza, a senior defensive tackle, said. “It starts us on a high point. Everyone’s going to be afraid of us now, especially with the score.”

McHi was limited to three points after being shut out in its last game against Harlingen South. Gerardo Cadena kicked in the only points on the evening, from 29 yards out, for the purple and gold who fall to 1-4 on the season.

Bulldogs quarterback Brian Garza was 6 for 19 with two interceptions. He completed his first four passes, all to Mason Nava, before hitting a rough patch of pressure and incompletions. He made his final two connections during the fourth quarter.

“Our defensive line, all together, we have a rotation, did a good job today up front limiting the middle runs, and on the outside our guys were flowing,” Rowe coach Bobby Flores said. “I’m proud of the group. We have some work to do, because our district is tough, but we did a good job tonight.”

Josiah Alonzo and Emilio Topete came up with interceptions for Rowe.

Flores wasn’t completely happy with his team’s performance. The Warriors fumbled three times and lost two, and two passes from quarterback Jonas Ortiz were snagged by Bulldogs defenders.

Tripp Potter and Daniel Chiquito were the ball hawks with picks for McHi.

“It took us a little while to get going. We were a little hesitant. We were off with the bye week to get back,” Flores said. “We just regrouped, and I think our guys settled in on the second half and focused on not hurting us.”

Ortiz had two passing touchdowns: first Angel Rodriguez for a sweep pass of 12 yards, and then to Ruben Saenz, who made a catch in traffic for a 35-yard score.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — Last year, Iziaah Rangel was thrust into the quarterback position out of necessity. He was a sophomore at Edinburg North when he had to step out of his wide receiver position and under center for the Cougars.

Fast forward to almost a calendar year later, and the 6-foot-3-inch player is at a different school and under different circumstances. This time, he was ready to be the guy for PSJA North from Day One.

“It was a challenge in the beginning, but with more reps, I got used to it,” Rangel said of his first few games as a starter.

He threw the ball more than 10 times on three occasions last year. He went 9 of 11 in a win against PSJA Southwest and 10 of 14 in a win against Edinburg Economedes. His lone loss? Rangel went 9 of 18 with two interceptions against his current team, the North Raiders.

“I felt like being a quarterback, being like a leader, I could do that job to get it done,” Rangel said. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I was little. Just going through repetition makes it easier.”

His growth as a quarterback, at least through non-district play, has been evident on the stat sheet. He is 32 for 57 for 500 yards, but the number that sticks out is his 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

“He’s a real smart kid, and he’s a calm one,” Raiders coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “Not all of them can induce things on the fly. He sees it and reacts almost instantaneously. I’m not normally a guy that’s going to throw the ball 25 to 30 times a game because of the negatives that go with it, if you have a quarterback that takes sacks, incompletions or throws the ball away. But he’s not that type of guy.”

Rangel is second on the team in rushing with 306 yards — just two behind freshman tailback Isaac Gonzalez.

“If something happens, he can make a negative play into a positive play,” Kaufmann said.

From the coaching and development perspective, Rangel is fortunate to be under two coaches who have coached their own sons as varsity quarterbacks in the Valley.

Kaufmann coached his son Matt Kaufmann through a strong career at McAllen Memorial, while offensive coordinator Jeff LeFevre’s most recent position was coaching offense, more specifically his son Richard LeFevre, at Weslaco East. Richard has started a college career of his own at the University of the Incarnate Word.

“It’s just a lot of fun to coach the quarterback position,” LeFevre said. “It’s like an engineer teaching math, or a doctor teaching anatomy and physiology. Iziaah’s new to the position, and his transition has been a lot of fun. It might not be so much fun for him sometimes. When he makes a mistake, we let him know it. Everybody loves that golf shot, and you hit it pure, and it looks good, and everybody gets a smile on their face. I guess that’s how I sit back and look at quarterbacks. When I see them do well, I smile. And when we struggle a little bit, I know there’s work to be done.”

Rangel’s top target and his first friend at his new high school are the same person: senior Arturo Beltran.

Last year, Beltran went for 1,160 yards of total offense. He figures to be a large part of the success the Raiders are aiming for.

The instant chemistry between the two tri-sport athletes who will also compete together on the hardwood and the track has been fruitful.

“I always knew him because of sports — because of basketball and football,” Beltran said. “I’ve always wanted to be friends with him, so as soon as he came over here, I welcomed him with love and just told him that I’m always here for him. By the next week, we’re already friends and going over to each other’s houses and been chillin’ like normal teens.”

Beltran, who his teammates and coaches call “Tuti,” has 199 receiving yards and three scores catching, plus another 112 yards and four touchdowns rushing.

“As the season goes and progresses, me and him will be probably one of the best one-two combos of offense in District 30-6A,” Beltran said.

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NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

The McAllen Memorial Mustangs are 1-2 heading into district play. Memorial will still be the team each of the other seven programs in 30-6A will be hoping to knock off after four years of pony power and consecutive district championships.

Non-district losses for coach Bill Littleton’s teams have not stopped them from handling their business in district play. The Mustangs haven’t lost a district game since the sophomore season of Trevor Speights, in 2013.

“I think we got better every week,” Littleton said. “We were better in Week 3 than what we were in Week 1, and that’s what you want to continue to do.”

The offense has scored 11 touchdowns, including seven in their last two outings — an overtime win over Sharyland High and a home loss to Vela a week ago.

Campbell Speights has had big nights in each game, to different extents. The junior had 154 rushing yards in a loss against Brownsville Hanna and 219 rushing against Sharyland High. In a 19-point Week 3 loss to RGVSports.com No. 1 team Edinburg Vela, he had only 56 rushing yards but added 36 receiving yards and 46 on kick returns.

“I think you got to play each game as it comes to you,” Littleton said. “When you schedule a tough non-district contender, you know things might not go the way you want them to go. Your team’s got to learn from their mistakes and know they were beaten by good people. The people that beat us would have beaten a lot of people.”

Even though the defense gave up 484 yards in Week 1 against Hanna and 421 total yards to Vela on Sept. 14, Littleton said his team is better than ever and should be a sharpened unit in the long run.

“I think this bunch is a whole lot better of what we were against Hanna,” Littleton said. “They continue to improve. That’s all you can ask of them. Get better each time they step on the field and let it lie where it lies. We’re getting closer and closer to putting the pieces together, and we feel like they’re going to be a good unit when it’s all said and done.”

At the end of non-district play, the goal is to be prepared for the most crucial games of the season until playoff games are earned. The veteran coach said he doesn’t overlook any opponent.

“We have all the respect for everybody we play,” Littleton said. “We know anybody in the district can beat anybody on any given day.”

The Mustangs’ title defense begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, when they host 3-0 Mission High.

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Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Tuesday, Sept. 25

District 30-6A

McAllen High def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-12, 25-8, 25-17

McAllen Memorial def. PSJA North 25-12, 25-9, 25-18

Mission High def. PSJA High 3-2

McAllen Rowe def. La Joya High 25-6, 25-10, 25-10

District 31-6A

Edinburg High def. Edinburg Vela 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-11

Weslaco High def. Weslaco East 23-25, 26-24, 25-17, 17-25, 15-9

Edinburg North def. Edinburg Economedes 25-17, 25-15, 25-17

District 32-6A

Brownsville Hanna def. San Benito 18-25, 27-25, 25-16, 21-25, 15-7

Los Fresnos def. Harlingen High 3-0

Brownsville Rivera def. Harlingen South 3-1

District 31-5A

Mission Veterans def. PSJA Memorial 25-21, 25-16, 25-11

Sharyland High def. PSJA Southwest 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 18-25, 15-9

Rio Grande City at La Joya Palmview, 7:30 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer def. Roma 22-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-18, 15-12

District 32-5A

Donna High def. Mercedes 25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23

Brownsville Pace def. Valley View 25-6, 25-12, 25-13

Brownsville Veterans def. Brownsville Lopez 25-22, 26-24, 25-13

Edcouch-Elsa def. Brownsville Porter

District 32-4A

Progreso def. Port Isabel 3-2

Zapata def. Raymondville 25-16, 25-18, 25-19

Hidalgo def. Grulla 25-9, 25-15, 25-20

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF.

LA JOYA HIGH 25-6, 25-10, 25-10

McALLEN ROWE: Jackelyn Alanis 23 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces, 1 assist, 1 block; Jewel Palomo 18 assists, 6 digs; Anna Honrubia 4 kills, 13 digs, 1 aces; Samantha Sifuentes 8 assists, 4 digs; Marina Cortez 4 digs; Victoria Galindo 1 block, 1 kill, 1 assist; Lauren Moubray 4 assists, 1 kill

RECORD: McAllen Rowe 27-8, 6-0

McALLEN HIGH DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 25-12, 25-8, 25-17

McALLEN HIGH: Lexi Gonzalez 10 kills, 4 digs, 2 aces, 1 block; Damaris Llanas 6 kills, 3 digs; Madison Helmcamp 23 assists, 4 kills, 3 aces, 1 dig

RECORDS: McAllen High 31-7, 4-2; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 9-15, 0-6

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. PSJA NORTH 25-12, 25-9, 25-18

McALLEN MEMORIAL: Valeria Trevino 8 kills, 9 digs, 2 aces; Evelyn Whitworth 8 kills; Demy Banks 6 kills, 2 blocks; Jocelynn Everage 6 kills, 9 digs 2 blocks; Dylann Guerra 8 digs, 1 ace; Mia Perez 14 assists

RECORD: McAllen Memorial 28-3, 6-0

District 31-6A

EDINBURG HIGH DEF. EDINBURG VELA

EDINBURG HIGH: Renee Ponce 51 digs, 50 assists, 9 kills; Bailey Buckner 17 digs, 9 kills; Zarina Rodriguez 4 kills, 1 block, 3 digs; Victoria Fuentes 36 kills, 7 blocks, 5 aces, 7 digs; Julissah Santa Maria 3 kills, 6 digs, 5 assists; Kristen Salinas 28 digs, 2 aces; Hannah Vega 39 digs, 2 aces; Vianney Trevino 7 digs

RECORDS: Edinburg Vela 4-1; Edinburg High 3-2

District 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. ROMA 22-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-18, 15-12

SHARYLAND PIONEER: Daizy Coronado 14 kills, 5 blocks, 1 ace; Daniela Alvarez 17 kills, 5 blocks; Elizabeth Fina 19 digs, 2 aces; Natalie Reyes, 50 assists, 13 digs, 5 kills, 4 aces: Olivia Calvillo 11 digs, 4 kills, 1 ace; Samantha Ayala 25 digs, 8 kills, 4 blocks, 2 aces; Shelby Cavazos 29 digs

ROMA: Alissa Gonzalez 24 assists, 15 digs, 3 kills, 3 aces, 1 block; Alba Gonzalez 7 kills, 2 aces, 2 digs; Andrea Mascorro 17 digs, 8 kills; Idani Flores 8 kills, 4 digs, 1 block; Hannah Garza 31 digs, 4 assists

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 17-15, 4-2; Roma 10-13, 2-4

MISSION VETERANS DEF.

PSJA MEMORIAL 25-21, 25-15, 25-11

MISSION VETERANS: Jackie Howell 19 kills, 10 digs, 2 aces, 1 block; Makenzie Gerlach 8 kills, 13 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks; Kassy Lerma 11 kills, 13 digs, 1 ace, 1 block; Valerie de la Fuente 26 assists, 1 ace; Ronnie Cantu 6 asssits, 2 aces; Bella Dominguez 8 digs

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 29-3, 6-0

SHARYLAND HIGH DEF. PSJA SOUTHWEST 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 18-25, 15-9

SHARYLAND HIGH: Estefania Hinojosa, 38 kills, 33 digs 1 block; Tristen Maddox 27 kills, 22 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks; Ana Paola Cerda 35 assists, 12 digs, 3 aces; Aydee Hinojosa 35 assists

RECORDS: Sharyland High 19-14, 5-1

District 32-4A

HIDALGO DEF. GRULLA 25-9, 25-15, 25-20

HIDALGO: Barbie Gutierrez 14 kills, 6 assists; Melanie Salinas 12 kills, 7 blocks; Priscilla Fuentes 3 kills; Vanessa Espinoza 10 kills; Soleli Garza 23 assists.

RECORD: Hidalgo 7-0

Saturday, Sept. 29

District 30-6A

McAllen Memorial at McAllen Rowe, noon

PSJA High at La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, noon

McAllen High at PSJA North, noon

La Joya High at Mission High, noon

District 31-6A

Weslaco East at Edinburg Vela, noon

Edinburg North at Weslaco High, noon

Edinburg High at Donna North, noon

District 31-5A

PSJA Memorial at Sharyland High, 1 p.m.

La Joya Palmview at PSJA Southwest, 1 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at Rio Grande City, 1 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Roma, 1 p.m.

District 32-5A

Edcouch-Elsa at Brownsville Veterans Memorial, 1 p.m.

Brownsville Lopez at Mercedes, 1 p.m.

Donna High at Valley View, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 2

District 30-6A

McAllen High at McAllen Rowe, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA High at La Joya High, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen Memorial at Mission High, 7:30 p.m.

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at PSJA North, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Weslaco East at Donna North, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Wesalco High, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg North at Edinburg Vela, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

PSJA Memorial at Roma, 6:30 p.m.

Sharyland Pioneer at PSJA Southwest, 7 p.m.

Mission Veterans at Rio Grande City, 7 p.m.

Sharyland High at La Joya Palmview, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Brownsville Lopez at Edcouch-Elsa, 7 p.m.

Mercedes at Valley View, 7 p.m.

Donna High at Brownsville Porter, 7 p.m.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

EDINBURG — Edinburg High senior setter Renee Ponce wears her heart on her sleeve. Whether her team is leading or trailing, she’s almost always in the middle of the action and always giving her teammates a stern look, instructions or a boost, if needed.

So calling Tuesday’s five-set, come-from-behind win over district-leading Edinburg Vela “emotional” would be a bit of an understatement. The Bobcats wouldn’t be refused in the 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-11 victory over their crosstown rivals.

“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Ponce said while tearing up. “I really do love my team. We lost against Edinburg North, but I still love them. After that, it just brought us closer together. We really can put the ball down when we want to if we just work as a team.”

For two sets, the Bobcats seemingly couldn’t catch a break, and their mistakes appeared to be leading to a loss. The visiting SaberCats were the aggressors early thanks to the consistent hitting from Glenys Maldonado, Miranda Negrete, Izabella Rodriguez and company.

“We knew they had great outside hitters, and together they play very well,” Edinburg High coach Deanna Dominguez said after the win. “(Vela) Coach (Araceli) Ortega has been doing this for a long time. She’s a very experienced coach and she always finds a way, so we knew the task at hand.”

As the match went on, the points were more difficult to come by for Vela. Freshman libero Adrianna Guerra as well as Ponce (51 digs) and Hannah Vega (39 digs) were key on defense to stop quick scores.

“Our libero is a freshman, so I tell her, ‘Just don’t be scared of anything when you’re back row. You’re unstoppable. Nothing hits the floor,’” Ponce said. “We don’t like to have dropped balls or anything.”

On offense, Victoria Fuentes led the way. The junior who towers over 6 feet scored in multiple ways to reach 36 kills. In early sets, she was blocking straight down. Later in the match, she began to find openings in the SaberCats defense either for soft, placed hits or spikes that displayed raw strength.

Fuentes said attitude was key in the huddle before the third set, even though the team was down two games to none.

“If I get blocked, my motto is, ‘Get down seven, get back up eight,’” Fuentes said. “So, I would tell them, ‘Don’t get it in your mind. Just get back up.’ Always be positive. That’s the big thing — to stay positive.”

She became a force as the match went on, adding seven blocks, seven digs and five aces.

“It feels amazing,” Fuentes said. “My mom is out here today. I couldn’t have done it without her. I love her so much.”

“A big factor is our servicing and our passes,” Dominguez said. “We want to be able to find her, and if we cannot get our passes there, it’s like, ‘How are you going to score a touchdown in football if you can’t get your ball to your receiver?’”

Bailey Buckner had nine kills and 17 digs. Ponce filled the stat sheet with nine kills, 51 digs and 50 assists.

Dominguez said Ponce can be intense on the court, but the energy comes from a good place.

“I think the girls respect that she contributes a lot of time to the game of volleyball,” Dominguez said. “Don’t get me wrong. They do get hurt feelings when they get told anything by someone that’s their same age. They’re like sisters. You don’t want your older sister telling you anything. Just like in life, you have to learn how to accept criticism and direction, and we also need to know how to give that.”

The senior is a leader with her play on the court, with her guidance and with her emotional investment to her team.

“Each time I get mad at someone, I say, ‘I love you so much… but get the ball,’” Ponce said. “We tell each other all this stuff. We give each other hugs when we’re on the court. We all pray. We all put it in God’s hands all the time. We’re a really close team this year, whether we argue or not.”

Vela drops into a tie for the district lead at 4-1, while Edinburg High improves to 3-2.

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RGVSports.com Volleyball TOP 10.

1. Mission Veterans, 26-3 (5-0), No. 1

2. McAllen Memorial 27-3 (5-0), No. 2

3. McAllen Rowe 26-8 (5-0), No. 3

4. McAllen High 30-7 (3-2), No. 4

5. Edcouch-Elsa, 22-9, 5-0, No. 5

6. Donna High, 22-9, (4-1), No. 6

7. Los Fresnos

8. Edinburg Vela, 19-11, (4-0) No.10

9. Brownsville Hanna, (2-0), NR

10. San Benito, San Benito (1-1), No. 9

VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS

DISTRICT 30-6A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

McAllen Memorial 27 3 5 0

McAllen Rowe 26 8 5 0

PSJA North 19 9 4 1

McAllen High 30 7 3 2

PSJA High 10 18 1 4

La Joya High 2 11 1 4

Mission High – – 1 4

LJ Juarez-Lincoln 9 14 0 5

DISTRICT 31-6A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Edinburg Vela 19 11 4 0

Weslaco High 17 13 3 1

Edinburg North 20 14 3 1

Weslaco East 19 13 2 2

Edinburg High 13 14 2 2

Edin. Economedes 11 22 1 4

Donna North – – 0 3

DISTRICT 31-5A

Over Dist

Team W L W L

Mission Veterans 28 3 5 0

Sharyland High 16 14 4 1

Sharyland Pioneer 16 15 3 2

PSJA Memorial 15 15 3 2

Roma 10 12 2 3

PSJA Southwest 18 10 3 2

La Joya Palmview 8 19 0 5

Rio Grande City – – 0 5

32-6A
Hanna 2-0, Los Fresnos 2-0, Harlingen High 1-1, San Benito 1-1, Rivera 0-2, Harlingen South 0-2
32-5A
Edcouch-Elsa 5-0, Donna High 4-1, Bro. Vets 4-1, Lopez 3-2, Porter 2-3, Mercedes 2-3, Pace 0-5, Valley View 0-5
32-4A
Hidalgo 6-0, La Feria 5-1, Zapata 4-2, Grulla 3-3, Rio Hondo 3-3, Port Isabel 2-4, Raymondville 1-5, Progreso 0-6

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — Hidalgo junior Barbie Gutierrez admits that her team didn’t handle the 2017 volleyball season, a down year, very well. After a playoff appearance in 2016, the team graduated a lot of its top talent, and the Pirates took a step back last season.

“Last year, everyone had a bad attitude,” Gutierrez said. “We were never together. It was me and two of the seniors, and we were really bad with everybody. Myself included. We were just frustrated about everything — about losing.”

She had a taste of winning during her sophomore season, even though she didn’t play much.

Gutierrez went from playing a small part on a 10-4 playoff team to watching that record flip to 4-10.

“Even I said, ‘This year will be the same thing. We’re the returning ones. There’s nobody new,’” Gutierrez said. “Then, it just switched around everything completely. In non-district, we would win, and it was surprising, and we were like, ‘OK, we can actually do this.’ District started, and we’re just taking everybody.”

With a 6-0 district record so far, the team’s spirits are higher, and people are taking notice. Hidalgo’s five-set win over La Feria on Sept. 11 was unexpected from the outside, and even up close.

“We surprised ourselves,” Gutierrez said. “Our school, everybody comes to our games now. The crowd is loud, and it’s really, really fun. Hidalgo hasn’t won district in 14 years. La Feria always takes it, so it felt good to beat them.”

Hidalgo has not won a district title in a long time. Even their playoff drought was long before the Pirates reached the 2016 postseason.

Gutierrez has been the offense’s go-to player during her senior season. However, the juniors who got their taste of varsity last year are also pivotal pieces.

“(Sophomore season) was really tough, because my coach would pick on me to get better, because I was the tallest,” 6-foot junior Melanie Salinas said. “Everybody was newcomers to the team, so it was a step up for everybody.”

The team was sophomore-heavy a year ago. The exception was a small group of upperclassmen, who didn’t make life easier. Salinas was a player who made the jump straight from the freshman team to the varsity unit.

“Last year, everyone got moved up, but also there were only two seniors, and those seniors would bring us down,” Salinas said. “They had a lot of negativity. When we were doing good, they would envy us, at times.”

“Last year, we took a lot of hard hits, and we had a rough year,” Hidalgo coach Kay Benavidez said. “Now, since they played last year with each other, they have the experience. They’re working very well together, and it’s made the biggest difference in the world.”

Salinas has progressed nicely this season. She routinely is in the mix to lead the team in kills from the middle blocker position. A season ago, Gutierrez and Salinas weren’t on great terms. This year, Gutierrez and Salinas are a one-two punch.

“Since (the seniors) left, her attitude changed a lot,” Salinas said of Gutierrez. “I feel like she’s a new person to the team. She has way more positivity. I, myself, and I think everyone in the front row, we look up to her a lot.”

“Honestly, I know more about the girls now than I knew last year,” Gutierrez said. “I didn’t know anything about them, and now they come to me and they tell me personal stuff. I’m like, ‘Whoa, you actually trust me.’ Now, when someone puts their head down on the court, we all just pick each other up.”

Don’t talk about the 14-year district title drought too loud, because Benavidez and Salinas are committed to focusing on one game at a time. But with first-round wins over La Feria, Rio Hondo and Zapata, the Pirates might have the inside lane to history.

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Valley HS Volleyball Schedule 2018

Saturday, Sept. 22

District 30-6A

McAllen High def. PSJA High 25-12, 25-21, 25-21

PSJA North def. La Joya High 25-12, 25-16, 25-17

McAllen Rowe def. Mission High 25-14, 25-14, 25-12

McAllen Memorial def. La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 25-5, 25-7, 25-6

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela def. Donna North 25-14, 25-11, 25-15

Weslaco East def. Edinburg Economedes 25-21, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22

Weslaco High def. Edinburg High 25-22, 16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-5

District 32-6A

Los Fresnos def. Brownsville Rivera 25-13, 25-13, 25-16

Brownsville Hanna def. Harlingen High 24-26, 25-10, 25-13, 25-22

San Benito def. Harlingen South 25-20, 25-18, 25-15

District 31-5A

Roma def. La Joya Palmview 25-18, 20-25, 25-15, 25-12

PSJA Southwest def. Rio Grande City 25-23, 25-18, 25-15

Sharyland Pioneer def. PSJA Memorial 25-19, 25-13, 25-12

Mission Veterans def. Sharyland High 25-8, 25-14, 25-18

District 32-5A

Donna High def. Brownsville Lopez 25-20, 25-10, 21-25, 25-22

Mercedes def. Brownsville Pace 25-18, 23-25, 25-13, 21-25, 15-11

Brownsville Veterans def. Brownsville Porter 25-12, 25-13, 25-14

Edcouch-Elsa def. Valley View 26-24, 25-14, 25-20

District 32-4A

Zapata def. Port Isabel

La Feria def. Grulla 25-23, 26-24, 26-24

Hidalgo def. Raymondville 3-0

Rio Hondo def. Progreso

NON-DISTRICT
Jubilee Brownsville def. Santa Rosa 25-15, 31-29, 25-14

TAAPS

Brownsville St. Joseph def. Laredo St. Augustine 9-25, 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 15-3

District 30-6A

McALLEN ROWE DEF.

MISSION HIGH 25-14, 25-14, 25-12

McALLEN ROWE: Jackelyn Alanis 21 kills, 10 digs, 4 assists, 1 ace; Jewel Palomo 19 assists, 12 digs, 1 ace; Anna Honrubia 9 kills, 7 digs, 5 aces, 1 assist; Samantha Sifuentes 5 assists, 1 dig; Marina Cortez 10 digs; Victoria Galindo 9 blocks, 2 kills; Lauren Moubray 3 assists, 2 digs

RECORD: McAllen Rowe 26-8, 5-0

PSJA NORTH DEF. LA JOYA HIGH 25-12, 25-16, 25-17

PSJA NORTH: Mikaela Guerrero 11 kills; 1 ace; Clarissa Alvarez 9 kills; Angel Lozano 16 digs, 1 block; Alexya Salinas 14 digs; Alexis De Leon 9 digs; Heaven Lozano 24 assists; Lesely Rodriguez 10 assists; Mariana Juarez 5 aces

RECORD: PSJA North 19-9, 4-1; La Joya High 1-4

McALLEN MEMORIAL DEF. LA JOYA JUAREZ-LINCOLN 25-5, 25-7, 25-6

McALLEN MEMORIAL: Valeria Trevino 7 kills, 6 digs, 3 aces; Jocelynn Everage 6 kills; Demy Banks 5 kills; Sydney Marburger 5 aces, 13 assists; Macy Henderson 7 digs, 4 aces; Mia Perez 8 assists, 6 digs, 2 aces

RECORD: McAllen Memorial 27-3, 5-0; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 0-5

McALLEN HIGH DEF. PSJA HIGH 25-12, 25-21, 25-21

McALLEN HIGH: Lexi Gonzalez 15 kills, 7 digs, 1 block; Damaris Llanas 7 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces; Madison Helmcamp 25 assists; 13 digs, 7 kills, 1 ace; Audrey Zamora 10 digs

RECORD: McAllen High 29-4, 3-2; PSJA High 1-4

District 31-6A

WESLACO HIGH DEF. EDINBURG HIGH 25-22, 16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-5

WESLACO HIGH: Adamri Ochoa 13 assists; Ky Black 10 assists; Illiyah Cantu 15 kills; Daniella Garza 5 kills; Kimmi Espinoza 7 aces, Audrey Escamilla 22 digs

EDINBURG HIGH: Renee Ponce 31 assists, 26 digs, 6 kills, 4 aces; Bailey Buckner 21 digs, 5 kills, 1 assist; Zarina Rodriguez 9 kills, 8 blocks, 4 digs; Victoria Fuentes 24 kills, 7 blocks, 1 ace; Adrianna Guerrea 44 digs, 3 aces, 1 assist; Kristen Salinas 29 digs, 1 ace, 2 assists; Hanna Vega 22 digs, 1 kill, 1 assist; Vianney Trevino 6 digs

RECORDS: Edinburg High 2-2

EDINBURG VELA DEF. DONNA NORTH 25-14, 25-11, 25-15

EDINBURG VELA: Julia Cordon 19 digs, 6 pts; Glenys Maldonado 8 kills, 6 digs, 3 pts; Miranda Negrete 7 kills, 4 digs, 3 pts; Analisa Campos 17 assists, 9 digs, 8 pts; Alyssa Muniz 7 digs; Olivia Vega 5 blocks, 6 pts, 2 kills; Gabby Avila 6 assists; Sarah Olivarez 8 digs, 3 pts

RECORDS: Edinburg Vela 4-0

District 31-5A

ROMA DEF. LA JOYA PALMVIEW 25-18, 20-25, 25-15, 25-12

ROMA: Alissa Gonzalez 27 assists, 12 digs, 5 aces, 3 kills; Alba Gonzalez 7 kills, 4 aces, 3 blocks, 3 digs; Andrea Mascorro 8 kills, 5 digs, 1 ace; Alexia Tenorio 21 digs, 2 aces; Mya Salinas 6 kills; Idani Flores 4 kills; Hannah Garza 12 digs, 1 ace

RECORDS: Roma 10-12, 2-3

SHARYLAND PIONEER DEF. PSJA MEMORIAL 25-19, 25-13, 25-12

SHARYLAND PIONEER: Daizy Coronado 9 kills, 3 blocks, 1 ace; Daniela Alvarez 11 kills, 4 blocks; Natalie Reyes 27 assists, 11 digs, 4 aces; Shelby Cavazos 14 digs

RECORDS: Sharyland Pioneer 16-15, 3-2

MISSION VETERANS DEF.

SHARYLAND HIGH 25-8, 25-14, 25-18

MISSION VETERANS: Jackie Howell, 18 kills, 21 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace; Makenize Gerlach 11 kills, 18 digs, 1 block; Valerie de la Fuente 21 assists, 4 digs, 1 kills, 3 aces, 2 block; Kassy Lerma 7 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks; Ronnie Cantu 18 assists, 5 digs, 1 aces

SHARYLAND HIGH: Estefania Hinojosa 15 kills, 2 blocks; Tristen Maddox 14 digs

RECORDS: Mission Veterans 28-3, 5-0; Sharyland High 18-14, 4-1

EDCOUCH-ELSA DEF. VALLEY VIEW 26-24, 25-14, 25-20

EDCOUCH-ELSA: Veronica Elizondo 7 kills, 3 digs, 1 assist; Maegan Acevedo 11 assists, 4 kils, 5 aces, 6 digs; Paloma Ybarra 11 assists, 10 digs, 1 ace

RECORDS: Edcouch-Elsa 21-9, 5-0

Tuesday, Sept. 25

District 30-6A

La Joya Juarez-Lincoln at McAllen High, 7:30 p.m.

PSJA North at McAllen Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

Mission High at PSJA High, 7:30 p.m.

McAllen Rowe at La Joya High, 7:30 p.m.

District 31-6A

Edinburg Vela at Edinburg High, 6:30 p.m.

Weslaco High at Weslaco East, 6:30 p.m.

Edinburg Economedes at Edinburg North, 6:30 p.m.

District 31-5A

PSJA Memorial at Mission Veterans, 7 p.m.

PSJA Southwest at Sharyland High, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande City at La Joya Palmview, 7:30 p.m.

Roma at Sharyland Pioneer, 7 p.m.

District 32-5A

Mercedes at Donna High, 7 p.m.

Brownsville Porter at Edcouch-Elsa, 7 p.m.

NATHANIEL MATA | STAFF WRITER

MISSION — Even with a 28-3 overall record and a firm spot as RGVSports.com’s No. 1 team in the Valley, Mission Veterans volleyball still gets excited about intense district matches.

The Patriots flexed their muscle at home, beating the Sharyland High Rattlers 25-8, 25-14, 25-18 to improve to 5-0 in district play. The visitors dropped to 4-1 on the season.

“The games still matter. It’s still our district game, and it’s Sharyland. It’s kind of a rivalry for us,” senior outside hitter Jackie Howell said. “We always have a good crowd. Both teams show up to play.”

The Rattlers were no pushovers, taking early leads in the first two sets. But too much consistency on offense and defense allowed the Patriots to take control of the match.

Mission Vets’ Karina Salinas capped a 6-0 run in the first set with a high-flying kill that forced a timeout at 10-4.

Salinas, a junior, used her 5-foot-7-inch frame to be a force at the net or even hitting, when called upon. She added five digs, four total blocks and a pair of kills — an example of the depth on the Patriots team.

“This is my first year on varsity, so I love the hype that we get together,” Salinas said. “Whenever we go down, we bring each other up. It all started when we played George Ranch (a 2-0 win at the John Turner Adidas Tournament in Pearland on Aug. 11). Ever since that game, we tell each other, ‘Come on. Let’s pretend we’re playing against George Ranch.’”

Valerie de la Fuente, who is the Patriots’ setting engine, had 21 assists in the match. She earned an even, eye-popping, 700th assist of the season in the win. She’s part of the senior group with Howell and Makenzie Gerlach, but she tipped her hat to the number of girls on her team ready to carry the workload.

“I know that if I need options, like Jackie’s not on or Makenize (Gerlach) isn’t on, or even if they are, but they’re blocking them, I know that Karina, Kassandra (Lerma) — everyone will step in when they need to,” de la Fuente said.

Howell led the match with 18 kills and 21 digs. Not far behind, Gerlach recorded 11 kills and 18 digs. Kassy Lerma had seven kills, eight digs, two blocks and two aces.

Sharyland High, which was led by Estefania Hinojosa’s 15 kills, played its best in the final frame. The Rattlers weren’t deterred when the Pats jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

Game three was tied seven times, but after the score was tied at 15, Sharyland fell to the same fate as every Valley team that has stood in Vets’ way in 2018.

The Patriots are 11-0 against RGV teams and have dropped only one set — to then-No.1 McAllen Memorial on the first night of the season.

“I think we’ve all got to learn how we play and know who does what,” de la Fuente said. “Beside just our bonding on the court, we have one of the strongest bonds that I’ve ever had on a team. I think that’s really what’s going to carry us all the way to state.”

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