By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

PHARR — There was a little drama early, but Pace began to cruise starting in the second game as the Lady Vikings swept a District 32-5A volleyball match against PSJA Southwest on Tuesday to earn their first trip to the playoffs since 2010.

Pace (12-15, 7-7 district) won 27-25, 25-9, 25-16 at the Lady Javelinas’ gym to claim the fourth-place postseason berth from 32-5A.

“This is amazing,” said Pace’s Jessica Aguilar, a senior setter/outside hitter. “We’ve worked hard for this since (the first day of workouts) Aug. 3. We knew we were going to have a tough season, but we pushed through and made it (to the playoffs). It just feels amazing.”

PSJA Southwest (13-22, 3-11), observing parents night, came out fired up and played on even terms with the Lady Vikings from the very start.

There were 10 ties during the opening game, including deadlocks at 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. On the final point of the first game, there was a question about a Pace serve that appeared to go long with the Lady Vikings up 26-25. The point was replayed, and a hitting error by the Lady Javelinas enabled Pace to win 27-25.

“I think we probably made every error that you could have thought of in that first game, but luckily we recovered and somehow came out on top,” Pace coach Gavin Rudder said.

He added, “(After the first game,) I looked at our seniors and said, ‘This could be your last match. Do you want it to be your last match, or do you want to keep playing?’ I thought our seniors were the ones who really needed to step up, just mentally and realize what they needed to do, and they did.”

The Lady Javelinas led by as many as six points twice, 11-5 and 12-6, during the first game before Pace fought back.

The Lady Vikings surged to leads of 15-5 in the second game and 13-5 during the third set to leave leave little doubt about the outcome.

Ebony Casanova, Pace’s junior libero, served an ace to close out the second game 25-9. She served up another ace to win the third game 25-16 and give her team a sweep of the match.

“Making the playoffs is really satisfying because it was our team goal,” Casanova said. “It’s awesome.

“We started off slow tonight, but we ended up coming back and winning (handily),” she added. “We needed to get back on track after that first game.”

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Anticipating a possible spot in the playoffs, the IDEA Frontier volleyball team continues to rely on the experience of seniors Michaela Elbert and Shanelle Flores.

lbert and Flores, a pair of 5-foot-6 outside hitters, have helped the Brownsville charter school move into position to possibly finish third or fourth in District 32-3A. The Lady Chargers are tied with Lyford and Edinburg Quest in the chase for the district’s two final postseason berths.

IDEA Frontier is open Tuesday and must wait on the outcomes of matches involving the other two teams to see if there will be a play-in match or matches later in the week that would enable the Lady Chargers to reach the postseason.

IDEA Frontier coach Cassie Hinojosa said having the two senior standouts on the squad has been a big plus.

“As seniors, Michaela and Shanelle have helped us a lot with our underclassmen by guiding them in the right direction,” said Hinojosa, a first-year coach for the Lady Chargers. “They’ll be leaving us (due to graduation), so I’m hoping they’ve made an impact on our freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

“In game situations, they’ve brought everything they can to the court,” Hinojosa added. “We hope they get a chance to play more volleyball (in the playoffs).”

Flores attempts to pass along what she has learned to her younger teammates.

“I just try to motivate the girls and tell the younger ones about things they can improve on or about things that I did wrong that they can do better than I did,” Flores said. “They have a lot of potential.

“It would mean the world to me to get to the playoffs,” she added. “I’ve been playing quite a while for our school, and I’ve seen us go from the bottom (of the standings) to where we are now. We’ve come so far, and that’s why it would mean so much.”

The two girls started playing volleyball for IDEA Frontier in sixth grade. They began playing the sport on separate teams as fifth-graders. They’ll soon be playing basketball for the Lady Chargers.

“We’ve had a good team each year that I’ve played, and as it’s gone on our program has developed and we’ve played more as a team,” Elbert said. “We’re a team and we play as a team, so that’s really helped us along the way.

“We’ve clicked this year and we have a true bond,” Elbert added. “I’ve been on the varsity since I was a freshman, and for us to make history by getting to the playoffs (for the first time) this year it would be great, especially as a senior.

“I’m really honored to be playing on this team with such a great group of girls. It’s just been awesome.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Step by step, IDEA Frontier of Brownsville is building up its athletic program.

While the Chargers field teams in volleyball, basketball, soccer and track, the sport that has brought the school its most success to date is cross country.

The IDEA Frontier boys dominated the District 32-3A cross country meet Oct. 17 to qualify for Monday’s Region IV competition in Corpus Christi. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is the host of the UIL regional meet, which will be staged at the recently opened Dr. Jack Dugan Family Soccer & Track Stadium and the facility’s surrounding grounds.

At district, the Chargers won the boys title for the second straight year with 21 points, and Lyford was a distant second with 60.

IDEA’s top seven runners were among the first 11 finishers at their district meet. They were Jesus Garcia (second), Arturo Gutierrez (third), Cristian Davila (fourth), Kevin Sanchez (fifth), Jose Quintero (seventh), Irving Chavirra (10th) and Daniel Ramirez (11th).

IDEA had a regional qualifier for the girls as well. Sabrina Garcia took third at the 32-3A meet.

The top four boys and girls teams in each division at the regional meet, along with the top 10 individual finishers not on a qualifying team, earn a trip to the UIL state meet Nov. 7 in Round Rock.

The goal for the Chargers is going to state.

“It’s definitely taken a lot of hard work, but I’ve seen this great group of kids become athletes,” said Gutierrez, a senior. “It’s amazing. I just want to push these guys to get better and push myself as well. I’ve been on this team for a while now, so I want the best for us. I want us to go to state, and I feel we deserve it.”

Added Sanchez, a freshman, “It was great news hearing that we got first again at district. Being on this team has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I couldn’t ask for anything else. I used to look at these guys (just) as my teammates, and now they’re more like family to me.”

Davila, a sophomore, said, “We’re just leaving it in God’s hands. Hopefully He’ll return the favor and help us get to state. At the end of it all, we’re running with our hearts, not our legs.”

IDEA coach Albert Alanis said the team worked hard on its own throughout the summer to reach this point.

“The No. 1 thing that is helping us do well is commitment,” said Alanis, who is assisted by Joshua Lumley. “We had a meeting last April after track season to see who would be interested in running cross country. More than 40 kids showed up. We talked about commitment and how success (in our sport) starts in the summer. We challenged them to log 300 miles (of running) during the summer, and sure enough, most of them did it.

“When I got them the first day (of fall practice), we didn’t have to start at Square 1,” Alanis added. “We got better this year because our runners did their summer work.”

Along with the IDEA runners, the Metro area will be well-represented at Monday’s Region IV meet.

At the District 32-6A meet Oct. 16 in San Benito, for the boys, Rivera, Hanna and Harlingen High finished first, second and third, respectively, to qualify for regional competition. For the girls, it was Hanna, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Los Fresnos earning trips to the regional as the top three teams.

The Rivera boys, who advanced to state for the first time one year ago, were led at district by Anthony Garza, Jonathan Herrera, Raul Caslano and Emmanuel Guerrero. They finished in the top four places. The Raiders won district decisively with 22 points compared to 78 for runner-up Hanna.

Rivera’s Andrea De La Rosa and Jennifer Lopez took first and second in the girls race at district, and Hanna’s Sydney Salazar came in third.

Along with De La Rosa and Lopez, there are some other Metro-area runners advancing individually to regional competition. They include Porter’s Gerardo Perez in Class 5A and Port Isabel’s Gabby Torres in Class 4A.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

LOS FRESNOS — No more sharing.

The Los Fresnos Lady Falcons have been district co-champions in volleyball with Brownsville Veterans Memorial the last two seasons, but no longer.

The Lady Falcons, ranked No. 2 in the Rio Grande Valley, clinched the outright District 32-6A championship with a 25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory against the No. 6 Lady Chargers on Saturday at the Los Fresnos gym.

“I don’t really want to be selfish, but it’s our senior year so we’ve got to take it all (for ourselves),” Lady Falcons middle blocker Joseline Caraveo said of capturing the 32-6A title. “We wanted it so bad and we got it.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” added Caraveo, one of the team’s standout senior players. “I think it means we’re a better team this season than the years before when we shared the district title.

“It’s always a good match against Brownsville Veterans. A match like this one helps both teams get better and get ready for the playoffs. We play for God, and whatever happens, we trust in Him.”

Really, the only drama left now in the 32-6A race is whether the Lady Falcons (36-8, 13-0 district) can finish with a perfect conference record. Their final district match is at third-place Hanna (26-12, 10-3) on Tuesday.

Los Fresnos, Brownsville Veterans and Hanna already have clinched playoffs spots. San Benito (7-6) secured 32-6A’s fourth-place postseason berth Saturday with a 25-23, 25-23, 25-18 win at Harlingen South. The playoffs start Nov. 2.

“Our team was ready to play today,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “I told the girls, ‘This is what it’s going to be like in the playoffs.’ Brownsville Veterans just kept hitting the ball at us, and they didn’t give up. Their serving is amazing, and they just kept pounding the ball.

“I think being outright district champions is going to help us going into the playoffs,” Woods added. “The girls know there’s going to be a lot of tough teams ahead, and we have to come out and play every point for what it’s worth. That’s what I told the girls. We just need to focus on one match at a time, one point at a time.”

Brownsville Veterans (28-12, 11-2) will close out district Tuesday at home against Lopez.

The Lady Chargers are the only team in 32-6A that has taken Los Fresnos beyond three games this season. They also did it Sept. 29 during the first round of district in Brownsville when the Lady Falcons prevailed 25-21, 25-17, 20-25, 25-15.

“(Even though we lost,) a match like this one is good for us,” Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares said. “Los Fresnos is just so strong hitting-wise. I felt we struggled with our blocking. It’s hard for our girls because we were so close. They tasted it. We weren’t even supposed to be in this position (of challenging for the district title) to begin with (as we have some new players this season). Hopefully a match like this helps us for the playoffs and for the future.”

After losing the first game 25-20 and winning the second 25-23, the Lady Chargers saw their momentum slip away in dropping the third set 25-16. But the Lady Chargers put up quite a battle during the fourth game, especially down the stretch as they pulled to within one point, 22-21, of Los Fresnos’ lead when the Lady Falcons hit the ball long.

From there, a pair of hitting errors, one long and another into the net, by the Lady Chargers allowed Los Fresnos to take a 24-21 advantage, and the Lady Falcons closed out the game and match with a decisive kill by Jackie Kingsbury.

Sam Ibarra, Caraveo and Kingsbury finished with 15, 14 and 13 kills, respectively, for the Lady Falcons. Sam Ibarra and Caraveo each had 10 blocks, and Kingsbury had 27 digs. Also for Los Fresnos, Isis Delgado and Giselle Ibarra finished with 24 and 20 digs, respectively, and Miranda Gonzales added 13 digs with 38 assists and four blocks. Giselle Ibarra also had four kills and four blocks, and Cassie Parra contributed three blocks and two kills.

Sarah Sandoval led Brownsville Veterans with 16 kills, 16 digs and three aces. Ashley Tumlinson added 10 kills, and Cassandra Valdez contributed 41 assists and 10 digs.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The game was close for one quarter before the San Benito Greyhounds pulled away to defeat the Lopez Lobos 45-7 on Friday in District 32-6A action at Sams Memorial Stadium.

The Greyhounds (6-2, 4-1 district) remain in a tie for first place in 32-6A with two games remaining on their regular-season schedule against Harlingen South and Rivera.

The Greyhounds share first place in 32-6A with Los Fresnos and Harlingen High.

San Benito once again was led by quarterback J.R. Gaitan, who rushed for a 2-yard touchdown and threw scoring passes of 16 and 55 yards, all during the opening half, to stake the Greyhounds to a 31-7 advantage at intermission.

The Greyhounds led 10-7 after the first quarter before outscoring Lopez 21-0 during the second period for their comfortable 24-point cushion at the half.

San Benito marched 70 yards in eight plays on its opening possession to go ahead 7-0 thanks to Gaitan’s 2-yard run with 10:00 showing in the first quarter. Alejandro Lugo added the extra point.

Lopez (1-6, 1-4) answered on its ensuing possession as the Lobos went 65 yards in five plays to even the score on Rogelio Pulido’s 17-yard scamper with 7:19 remaining in the opening period. Jose Echavarria was good on the conversion.

Lugo booted a 32-yard field goal at the 3:59 mark of the first quarter to put the Greyhounds ahead for good, 10-7.

By the second quarter, San Benito’s offense began to roll as Gaitan threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Eduardo Barron and a 55-yard TD toss to Jorge Cantu, who broke free down the middle on a deep route. Sandwiched between those TD passes was a 1-yard scoring run by the Greyhounds’ Edward Alvarez with 5:07 left before halftime.

San Benito scored a TD during each quarter of the second half to ice the victory.

Evading a least three tackles on his way to the end zone, Isaiah Trevino broke loose on a 69-yard scoring scamper to give the Greyhounds a 38-7 edge with 6:54 to go during the third period.

Taking a handoff up the middle, Barron bolted in from 2 yards out with 3:47 remaining to make it 45-7 following Lugo’s sixth extra point.

It was a contentious game as each coaching staff was penalized and three players were ejected — two from Lopez and one from San Benito.

Lopez will close out the regular season with two games. They play at Harlingen High next Friday and then play against Brownsville Veterans Memorial on Nov. 6 at Sams Stadium.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Football players wearing galoshes over their cleats?

It would be a curious sight.

Yet, considering the weather forecast for the weekend, it might not be such an outlandish idea, although it would most certainly cut into 40 times.

Heavy rain — not just rain — is predicted for the next few days, and that forecast figures to affect all of the Rio Grande Valley’s scheduled outdoor events, including Friday’s Lopez vs. San Benito matchup on the artificial surface at Sams Memorial Stadium.

On Thursday, in anticipation of inclement weather, the District 32-6A game was moved up from its original starting time of 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Brownsville ISD athletic director Mark Guess said the only thing that could possibly postpone or even cancel the 32-6A contest would be lightning in the vicinity. Otherwise, the game will go on at its new kickoff time.

Lopez coach Jason Starkey said his team is concentrating on the Greyhounds rather than any interference by Mother Nature.

“What’s outside of our control is something we can’t be too concerned about,” Starkey said. “If it rains, or even snows, both teams still have to play in it.

“We’re just trying to prepare for San Benito and be ready for whatever they bring to the table offensively and defensively,” he added. “That’s our focus.”

The Lobos (1-5, 1-3 district) will be facing a San Benito team (5-2, 3-1) that is ranked No. 3 in the Rio Grande Valley and coming off last Friday’s convincing 40-21 victory at home against previously undefeated Brownsville Veterans Memorial.

Lopez will try to contain San Benito quarterback J.R. Gaitan, who ranks third in district in rushing (859 yards), passing (1,031 yards) and scoring (12 touchdowns). Against Brownsville Veterans, Gaitan rushed for 234 yards and scored on runs of 41, 67 and 66 yards, and he passed for 120 yards, including a 6-yard scoring toss, with no interceptions.

The Lobos are coming off a 31-21 loss to Hanna. Two weeks ago, Lopez triumphed 34-15 against Rivera.

When asked if he continues to see his team improve, Starkey said, “Of course I do. This team has done a great job of maturing this season. We’re an extremely young team, and that (experience we’re gaining now) should help us for the future.

“We’ve improved on offense,” he added. “Unfortunately, the injury bug has hit us, but that’s just given us an opportunity for other players to step up (and make a contribution).”

NOTE: As of late Thursday, Saturday’s District 32-5A game between Pace and Donna North at Sams Stadium was still scheduled for 7 p.m., BISD athletic director Mark Guess said. He said there was a strong possibility that it could be moved up to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Beginning a few years ago, every time Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Los Fresnos have played in volleyball it’s been quite an important match with district title ramifications.

It will be no different when they meet again at 3 p.m. Saturday in Los Fresnos as the District 32-6A race nears its end..

The Lady Falcons and Lady Chargers have been district co-champions the past two seasons.

Los Fresnos (35-8, 12-0 district) is ranked No. 2 in the Rio Grande Valley. The Lady Falcons defeated the Lady Chargers 25-21, 25-17, 20-25, 25-15 when they played during the first round of district Sept. 29 in Brownsville. No. 6 Brownsville Veterans (28-11, 11-1) would likely create a scenario for another shared championship with a road victory Saturday.

Of course, the Lady Falcons are a little selfish. They want the 32-6A title all to themselves. They’re tired of sharing.

“Yes, finishing with a perfect (14-0 district) record is a big motivation for our girls,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “We’ve been co-champs the last two years (so they want to be outright champions).

“We just want to get out there and play the best we can,” Woods added. “We know Brownsville Veterans will come in here ready to play. We’re preparing for that.”

The Lady Chargers have steadily improved throughout the season. They know a victory against Los Fresnos would certainly open some eyes around the Valley as to the progress they’ve made.

“I’m just excited and proud of what we’ve accomplished thus far,” Brownsville Veterans coach Lisa Mares said. “Saturday’s match can go either way. Whoever makes less errors and whoever is more aggressive offensively will be the winner at the end, even though we’re both winners already for making the playoffs.”

After Saturday’s 32-6A matches, the district schedule ends Tuesday as Los Fresnos visits Hanna and Brownsville Veterans is at home against Lopez.

TIME CHANGES: The starting times of at least two 32-6A matches Saturday have been moved back from noon to 3 p.m. because of ACT testing. Besides Brownsville Veterans at Los Fresnos, the Hanna at Rivera match also will start at 3 p.m. instead of noon.

It was the same way Oct. 3 when most of the 32-6A matches were moved back to accommodate SAT testing.

Other 32-6A matches Saturday that could also be moved back from their original noon starts include Lopez at Harlingen High and San Benito at Harlingen South.

A LOT OF HEART: The Porter Cowgirls gave it all they had Tuesday during a District 32-5A match at home against favored Donna High.

Porter (5-7 district) lost the first game before rallying to win the next two against the Bravettes (10-2). Donna High eventually prevailed in five games. The scores were 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, 25-15, 15-8.

“Yes, it was a very hard-fought match,” Cowgirls coach Laura Fortner said.

Porter next plays at 3 p.m. Saturday at PSJA High (10-2), and fellow 32-5A member Pace (6-6) will be at home at 3 p.m. Saturday against Edcouch-Elsa (11-1).

PLAYOFFS AGAIN: Port Isabel is returning to the playoffs as the probable third-place finisher in District 32-4A. The Lady Tarpons (9-3 district) won 25-22, 29-27, 25-20 on Tuesday at Hidalgo.

They next play at home at 2 p.m. Saturday against Progreso.

“It’s really a great, great feeling (to be back in the playoffs),” Lady Tarpons coach Julie Breedlove said. “This group is showing what they are capable of, and the sky is the limit for them. I have learned so much from them and just feel so blessed to be able to coach them.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

It couldn’t have gotten much crazier last football season when four teams tied for the District 32-6A title.

Could something like that happen again? There’s certainly every possibility that it might.

Right now, it kind of feels like “déjà vu” all over again in 32-6A.

With three weeks left in the regular season, including this one, there are four teams tied atop the 32-6A standings with one loss apiece. They are Los Fresnos, San Benito, Brownsville Veterans Memorial and Harlingen High.

“The race has lived up to everyone’s expectations,” Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley said. “It comes as no surprise to me.

“We are currently working to improve on a weekly basis,” he added. “I am pleased with the effort of our team to this point, but we have to be more consistent on a play-to-play basis. We have to eliminate negative plays, penalties and turnovers. We have three big games ahead of us, and we need to progressively play our best games to be where we want to be.”

This week’s coming slate of games figures to clear things up, at least a little bit.

For Metro-area teams, it all starts at 7 p.m. Thursday as Harlingen High (5-2, 3-1 district) takes on Brownsville Veterans (6-1, 3-1) at Sams Memorial Stadium in a 32-6A matchup.

The 32-6A competition continues at 7:30 p.m. Friday as San Benito (5-2, 3-1) plays Lopez (1-5, 1-3) at Sams, Hanna (3-4, 1-3) is at Harlingen South (2-4, 2-2) and Rivera (0-7, 0-4) visits Los Fresnos (6-1, 3-1).

Also for Metro-area teams at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Port Isabel (4-2, 1-1) plays host to West Oso (1-6, 0-2) for a District 16-4A Division II game, St. Joseph Academy (6-1, 2-0) entertains Austin St. Michael’s (4-3, 2-0) in a TAPPS district matchup that is The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week and Porter (5-2, 3-1) travels to Donna High (5-2, 4-0) for a District 32-5A contest.

Another 32-5A game is on tap for 7 p.m. Saturday as Donna North (0-7, 0-4) battles Pace (1-5, 1-3) at Sams.

Going back one year, it appeared San Benito was going to claim the outright 32-6A championship as the Greyhounds were 5-0 in district and already had beaten Los Fresnos (17-14), Harlingen High (25-21) and Brownsville Veterans (67-57). But then along came the upset of the year in 32-6A as Harlingen South surprised the Greyhounds 21-20 on Halloween.

South’s upset of San Benito opened the door for all the others who were within striking distance in the standings, and then a surging Rivera team beat the Greyhounds 42-35 in a regular-season finale on Nov. 7.

The end result, including the outcomes of other 32-6A games down the stretch, was that San Benito, Harlingen High, Los Fresnos and Rivera all wound up sharing the district title with 5-2 records. Despite its 6-4 overall record, Brownsville Veterans finished on the outside looking in with a 4-3 mark in 32-6A.

Even though first-year San Benito coach Dan Gomez got the Greyhounds back in the playoffs in 2014 after a two-year absence from the postseason, he came into this season saying he and his assistants were not at all satisfied with the team’s finish last November. San Benito lost its last three games, including a 42-14 setback against Weslaco East in bi-district.

Coming into the 2015 season, Gomez, a native of Raymondville who came to San Benito after coaching at Lytle, said, “We didn’t meet expectations as a coaching staff (in 2014). It was unacceptable for what we wanted to do.”

While the Greyhounds didn’t last long in the playoffs one year ago and the Cardinals also exited early, losing to Weslaco High 3-0 in bi-district, there were strong playoff showings by Los Fresnos and Rivera as each team advanced three rounds.

Rivera captured the attention of the Rio Grande Valley last season by starting off 0-5 before winning its next seven games to reach the third round of the postseason and finishing 7-6.

This year, the teams that are front-runners for the playoffs in 32-6A are basically the same. The only difference is Brownsville Veterans, not Rivera, appears to be the one with the best chance to represent the city in the postseason.

The Chargers suffered their first loss of the season, 40-21, last week at San Benito, and are eager to get back in the win column playing Thursday at Sams against Harlingen High, which rallied to beat Los Fresnos 25-18 last week.

“We still control our own destiny for a district title, and that was our goal from the very beginning,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “Nothing has changed. We learned from (the San Benito) game, and we’ll do better.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

The Hanna Lady Golden Eagles are using every match they have left in the regular season as preparation for the playoffs.

The Lady Eagles were tested on their home court Tuesday by Harlingen South, particularly during the second and third games, before coming away with a 25-11, 26-24, 25-19 victory in District 32-6A volleyball action.

Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said his team clinched a spot in the postseason with its three-game sweep of Lopez last Saturday, so the Lady Eagles now are focused on winning and going into the postseason with some momentum.

Los Fresnos and Brownsville Veterans Memorial also have secured playoff spots from 32-6A, and the district’s final postseason berth to the fourth-place finisher figures to go to San Benito or Rivera.

A pair of 32-6A matches remain for the Lady Eagles (9-3 district), starting with Saturday’s contest at Rivera. South (2-10) also has two district matches left and will be at home Saturday against San Benito.

“Now we’re cemented in third place in district (with tonight’s win), I’m pretty sure,” Hagemann said.

“South is like a Pandora’s Box, because you never know exactly what you’ll get from them,” he added. “They kind of started slow in the first game, but then they really fired it up. They had some awesome swings and their defense was sharp with some good blocking, so it became a good match. I’m really content with this win. It was a good match.”

A key point of the match came during the second game with the score tied at 24. A kill by Hanna’s Sasha-Rae Brown made it 25-24, and the Lady Eagles won 26-24 when the Lady Hawks were unable to get the ball to go over the net on their third hit.

During the third game, South led by as many as three points six times, the last being 17-14. But Hanna rallied to tie it at 17 before going ahead for good 18-17 on a hitting error by the Lady Hawks.

A tip by Hanna’s Bianca Olivares allowed the Lady Eagles to win 25-19 and sweep the match.

“Despite some messups that we had, our girls were hanging right in there,” South coach Jennifer Taliancich said. “It was a good improvement for us to stay right up there with Hanna. It came down to crucial points, and we’d miss a serve or something. That was our downfall.”

Tina Montez and Adrianna Espinoza had nine and six kills, respectively, for the Lady Hawks. Teammate Lexi Kruse had seven assists.

For Hanna, Brown finished with 11 kills, and Olivares contributed 19 assists and four kills. Pamela Ellis had 10 kills, four blocks and 13 digs. Flora Herrera and Alexa Herrera each had four kills, with Flora logging three blocks. Lauren Webb added six kills, and Gianna Muniz had nine assists.

Also for Hanna, Yelitza Barrientos and Jenny Guerrero each had 15 digs, and Julie Soto added five digs.

By ROY HESS, Staff Writer

Here they are again.

The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers are right back in a position to challenge for another district title in volleyball.

They’ve shared the district championship with Los Fresnos during each of the past two seasons.

The District 32-6A standings have Los Fresnos in first place with an 11-0 record, while Brownsville Veterans is close behind at 10-1. The Lady Falcons and Lady Chargers have clinched playoffs spots and are scheduled to play each other for the second time in district at noon Saturday at Los Fresnos.

While Brownsville Veterans may have surprised many by being in this position again with a team that came into its 2015 campaign as basically an unknown quantity, the Lady Chargers themselves are not at all surprised to be doing so well.

Even though the Lady Chargers graduated some key players from last year’s successful team, including All-Valley hitter Mariza Cardenas, they still brought back three experienced starters who have led the way for the team’s newcomers. Their presence has made a big difference, coach Lisa Mares said.

Those three returning senior starters are libero Krista Lopez and front-line hitters Sarah Sandoval and Megan Sanchez.

“I was real optimistic about our season because of those three girls,” said Mares, who last year guided the Lady Chargers to a 34-12 record and the third round of the playoffs. “All three of them are super athletic girls, and all three have been with me since their sophomore years.

“I knew it might be difficult because in past seasons those three hadn’t really been vocal leaders on the team, but I was still optimistic that we would do well,” added Mares, who is assisted by Arnold Torres. “I felt it was going to take some time but that we were going to get there because of those three. They may not be all that vocal, but the way they play speaks for itself.”

Through the course of the season, the Lady Chargers have evolved into one of the top teams in the Rio Grande Valley.

“We’ve been practicing together for a while now,” said Lopez, a 5-foot-2 libero and three-year starter. “We’ve gotten used to each other. We’re not (just) good as individuals, we’re good together.

“I think if we work together as a team, we have the potential to go far (in the playoffs),” added Lopez, who leads the team with 421 digs and 33 aces. “The key is working together. It’s been a process getting there. We had some sophomores move up (to the varsity) and we didn’t really know them, so it’s taken some time.

“In the beginning of the season, I think people didn’t really see us as being one of the better teams because we weren’t ranked. I believe that’s what has motivated us to get to (near) the top (of district) again, and we’re right there (challenging for another title).”

Added Sanchez, a 5-9 middle blocker/hitter who has started one season, “I think a lot of us are really willing to work hard to be successful. All of us were here during the summer for conditioning, and we do a lot of other (volleyball) things outside of school like playing club ball. I think that makes the difference for this team.”

Sanchez ranks second on the team in kills (170) and blocks (24) and fourth in aces (26).

The Lady Chargers, ranked No. 6 in the Valley, are 27-11 overall. They next play at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Harlingen High.

“It’s been a huge honor to play for this team,” said Sandoval, a 5-9 outside hitter and three-year starter. “The coaches have taught us to always have a fighting spirit in us. They say, ‘If you don’t have that, you don’t belong here.’ We’ve been trying to pass that on to the new girls who have come in this year, saying, ‘You can’t let go and you can’t back down. You have to fight for what you believe in.’

“It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us, but I think it’s just been a continuation of how we were last season,” added Sandoval, who ranks first on the team with 175 kills, second with 257 digs and third with 27 aces. “Yes, we have new girls with not that much (varsity) experience, but they see what they need to work on, they work on it, and they’ve been getting better and better.

“With this group of girls, it’s not so much that we (as senior leaders) are loud, because we’re kind of quiet, but we can still get things done. We don’t talk about it too much because we know what we have to do. We’re just going out and getting it done.”

Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.