By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The volleyball season continues for the Mercedes Lady Tigers as they pursue a berth in the Class 5A state playoffs.

Mercedes, Pace and Lopez finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in District 32-5A with 6-8 records earlier this week, creating a “play-in” scenario for the three squads as only one could qualify for the postseason as 32-5A’s No. 4 seed.

In the first of two 32-5A “play-in” matches, Mercedes prevailed over the Lady Vikings 15-25, 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, 19-17 on Thursday at Pace.

While Pace’s season ended, Mercedes now advances to another “play-in” match at 4 p.m. Saturday at Lopez against the Lady Lobos.

The winner of Saturday’s match moves on to next week’s 5A bi-district playoffs and will face District 31-5A champion Mission Veterans, the Valley’s top-ranked team.

It was a back-and-forth match the entire way Thursday for the Lady Vikings and Lady Tigers, who came on strong during the second round of district to give themselves a chance for the playoffs.

“We went 0-6 at the beginning of district play and I told our girls once we won one that would be it and we would not be losing anymore (and we would put ourselves in playoff contention),” Mercedes coach Cynthia Wareham said. “Our girls really played hard tonight. They weren’t cautious about where they put the ball. They went up there (aggressively) and hit it, found the holes (in Pace’s defense) and just played smart.

“Our serving at the beginning was off, but you know what? The girls fought to the very end, and that’s what mattered most,” Wareham added. “Point for point, our girls went at it. They weren’t scared, it didn’t matter and they just went up and hit the ball.”

The score was tied 13 times in the fifth and deciding set. The last deadlock was 17-17. From there, Pace hit long to put Mercedes up 18-17. A cross-court kill by Mercedes then made it 19-17 and won the match for the Lady Tigers.

The Lady Vikings had gone ahead 12-7 in the fifth game when Mercedes hit long, but the Lady Tigers battled back to gain the victory and keep their hopes alive to reach the postseason.

Stat leaders for the Lady Tigers included Erinn Ramirez (14 kills, 15 assists), Roslynn Rodriguez (15 kills), Mika Vento (12 kills), Bethany Closner (19 assists) and Jenny Rincon (17 digs).

Pace coach Gavin Rudder was unable to direct his team Thursday due to an illness. Assistant coach Delma Hernandez coached the Lady Vikings in Rudder’s absence.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

Before the playoffs come the “play-ins.”

Just about every volleyball district in the Rio Grande Valley appears to be having a “play-in” match or two this week to determine playoff qualifiers before the postseason begins in earnest next Monday and Tuesday.

In the Lower Valley, “play-in” matches are scheduled in Districts 32-6A, 32-5A and 32-4A due to ties in the standings after conference play was completed on Tuesday.

In 32-6A, Hanna and Harlingen High finished in a tie for fourth place at 8-6 after each team won Tuesday.

The Lady Golden Eagles and Lady Cardinals are scheduled to play their “play-in” match at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Hanna with the winner meeting 31-6A champion PSJA Memorial next week in the bi-district playoffs.

Hanna just defeated Harlingen High 25-16, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-8 on Oct. 21 at Hanna. Before that, during the first round of district on Sept. 26 in Harlingen, the Lady Cardinals triumphed over the Lady Eagles 28-30, 25-21, 25-17, 25-13.

Harlingen High and Hanna seem to be two of the most evenly matched teams in 32-6A. What will happen on Friday?

“It was an awesome game by both teams (on Oct. 21), and honestly, it was a hard fight and it could have gone either way,” Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said recently. “It will be a tough match if we have to play them again.

“I’m so proud of our girls because they played through the little lows they had (in Games 2 and 3) and came back to win (that Oct. 21 match),” Hagemann added.

Rivera, the 32-6A champion, is awaiting the result of Friday’s 6 p.m. 31-6A “play-in” match at PSJA High between the Lady Bears and Edinburg North to see which team the Lady Raiders face next week in bi-district.

Meanwhile, two 32-6A teams already have determined their bi-district pairings. Los Fresnos, the 32-6A runner-up, plays host to 31-6A third-place Edinburg High at 7 p.m. Monday, while 32-6A third-place San Benito is at home against 31-6A runner-up Edinburg Vela at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

32-5A UPDATE

Three of the four bi-district pairings are set for 32-5A teams, while a fourth depends on the results of some “play-in” matches involving three 32-5A squads that tied for fourth place.

Bi-district details of two matches are not yet known, but it will be 32-5A champion Brownsville Veterans Memorial vs. Sharyland High, 32-5A runner-up Edcouch-Elsa vs. Laredo Nixon and 32-5A third-place Donna High vs. Sharyland Pioneer.

Brownsville Veterans takes on Sharyland High in bi-district at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Weslaco High.

Meanwhile, Pace, Lopez and Mercedes tied for fourth place in 32-5A with 6-8 records and one of the three will advance to bi-district competition to face 31-5A champion Mission Veterans, the Valley’s top-ranked team.

The “play-in” competition in 32-5A begins at 7 p.m. Thursday as Pace plays host to Mercedes. The winner of that match plays at Lopez at 4 p.m. Saturday. From there, the winner moves on to bi-district.

32-4A UPDATE

Port Isabel finished as the third-place team in 32-4A and now will go against the District 31-4A runner-up from the Coastal Bend next week in bi-district. La Feria won 32-4A and Raymondville was the 32-4A runner-up.

Rio Hondo and Progreso tied for fourth place in 32-4A at 6-8 apiece and will have a “play-in” match this week to figure out which of them makes it to the playoffs.

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 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

One journey has reached its destination and another is about to begin in the Class 6A state playoffs for the Rivera Lady Raiders in volleyball.

The Lady Raiders achieved their goal of winning District 32-6A with a 14-0 record thanks to Tuesday’s 25-23, 25-16, 25-22 victory at home against the Harlingen South Lady Hawks (4-10).

It was the final night of scheduled 32-6A action, although it appears Hanna and Harlingen High will have a “play-in” match later this week to determine a postseason qualifier since both squads wound up tied for fourth place with 8-6 records.

While Rivera advances to the playoffs almost every year, this season’s district title is somewhat unique because it’s the school’s first in volleyball since 2007.

“I’m so proud of my team. I knew we could do it,” said Rivera’s Stephanie Garza, a senior outside hitter and team captain. “To be district champs with an undefeated record, it feels amazing to have this happen my senior year.

“You should never go into a match (like tonight’s) too confident,” she added. “We had some confidence, but not too much because anything can happen, so this just feels amazing now that we’ve done it.”

The Lady Raiders, who were the runner-up team in 32-6A last season behind Los Fresnos, now begin preparations for the bi-district playoffs, which are set to start next Monday or Tuesday. Rivera will go against the fourth-place team from District 31-6A, which could be PSJA High or Edinburg North.

“I’m just so excited and in awe of our girls because they did an exceptional job, even though we had a very hard district with a lot of good teams,” said Lady Raiders coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra, who is in her 25th year at Rivera and earlier this season reached the 500-win coaching milestone. “I told the girls that everyone in our district was beatable, including us, so we needed to be ready to play hard in every match. I told them it was going to be a tough road all the way through.

“I’m so proud of the girls because they stepped it up,” Avelar-Guerra added. “Every team they faced, they played as hard as they could. They really deserve this championship because they worked so hard for it.”

South played Rivera on even terms for much of the match, but the Lady Raiders were the ones to surge ahead at the end and win each of the three games.

The Lady Hawks went ahead by scores of 12-10 and 13-11 in the third set, but down the stretch, they could not hold off the Lady Raiders.

Providing strong play at the net for the Lady Hawks were Cameron Del Angel, Kimberly Rodriguez and Annelle Rodriguez.

Stat leaders for the Lady Raiders included Litzy Medina (12 kills, six digs, four aces), Kourtney Shears (26 assists, one ace), Mayra Martinez (nine kills, three blocks, two digs), Maddy Blanco (15 digs) and Garza (nine kills, eight digs, two aces).

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

RIO HONDO — The Port Isabel Lady Tarpons are going into the Class 4A volleyball playoffs with some momentum after winning Monday’s District 32-4A finale.

The Lady Tarpons defeated Rio Hondo 25-16, 25-15, 17-25, 25-16 on the Lady Bobcats’ court to secure third place in 32-4A with an 8-6 record.

A Rio Hondo win would have created a tie for third place in district with each team at 7-7. But instead, the Lady Bobcats now finish at 6-8 and must find out results of Monday’s other 32-4A matches to see if they wind up in a tie for fourth place.

La Feria (13-1) defeated Raymondville 25-16, 18-25, 25-14, 25-18 in Raymondville on Monday to claim the 32-4A championship. Raymondville (11-3) finishes as the 32-4A runner-up.

Bi-district playoffs are on tap for Oct. 30 or Oct. 31. The Lady Tarpons will go against the runner-up finisher from District 31-4A.

“We came out strong and our one goal tonight was to win,” said Port Isabel’s Olivia Soliz, a 5-foot-11 senior middle blocker who again led her team with double-digit kills and several blocks. “We put it all in God’s hands. We pushed for it and we worked together for it.

“It all started in practice,” Soliz added. “We’ve been working hard since we found out we were fighting for third place. We came out with the win and we’re just blessed to have it.”

This will be the fourth trip to the playoffs for the Lady Tarpons in the five years Julie Breedlove has been their coach. After missing the playoffs a year ago, it was a big priority for the team to return to the postseason.

Breedlove said her team responded well to a little adversity in the third set.

“We came out strong in Games 1 and 2, lost a little focus in Game 3, but we came back in Game 4,” Breedlove said. “That’s what we need to do. It was exciting to see our girls come back in the fourth game and really focus, get down to business and do the things we needed to do.

“We had a lot of communication and hustle to the ball,” Breedlove added. “The girls were really leaning on each other, working for each other and just taking care of each other. They had each other’s back.
“It was a goal for us to get back to the playoffs, so we’re excited about that. These girls have really worked hard for this.”

By ROY HESS|Staff Writer

In the “next man up” scenario of football, Alexis Gomez has seen both sides.

A year ago, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial running back’s junior season was wiped out due to an ACL injury. After a huge amount of work to rehab his knee, Gomez was ready to step into the Chargers’ lineup as a starter a few weeks ago when his teammate, standout rusher Abel Martinez, was sidelined by an injury of his own.

Gomez, a 5-foot-6, 170-pound senior, is grateful for his chance to shine and looks forward to the time that soon may be coming when he and Martinez can both contribute to the Chargers’ strong rushing attack along with senior quarterback Gustavo Vasquez.

“It was hard suffering an ACL the first day of practice (in 2016),” said Gomez, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in Saturday’s pivotal 35-21 District 32-5A victory against Lopez. Vasquez had 224 yards and four TDs on 30 carries as the Chargers (6-1 overall, 4-0 district) controlled the ground game against the Lobos and took over sole possession of the 32-5A lead.

“It’s felt great just showing that my hard work over the summer and (during) the time I was hurt has paid off,” Gomez added. “I knew I wanted to come back and I knew I wanted to come back strong, so I dedicated myself to working hard to prove to all the others that I could do it.

“I’m there (close to 100 percent) now, and I can do better. There are some big shoes to fill because Abel has done an amazing job this year and last year. I hope I can do as much as he’s done. It will be even more amazing (if Martinez can make it back). We can accomplish a lot together with his speed and whatever it is I have to add.”

Chargers coach David Cantu is impressed with the way Gomez has displayed resilience in rebounding from his injury, his humility, and his being ready when called upon to step in and assume an important role with Martinez out.

“A lot of credit is due to Alexis for being ready to play,” Cantu said. “(Running backs) coach Joe ‘Pope’ Martinez has prepared Alexis well, even since last year. Coach Martinez has his guys ready to go when needed. Abel’s injury was big, but we had a player (Gomez) practicing every day as if he were the starter. Kudos to Coach Martinez and to Alexis for putting in all the hard work.

“Abel will be re-evaluated soon and there is a possibility he could come back (this season),” Cantu added. “Abel’s feeling better and there was no break (in his injured leg). If he does come back, that would be awesome having both Abel and Alexis there for us in the backfield during the closing stretch of the season. That would mean a lot.”

“Pope” Martinez has coached the running backs at Brownsville Veterans for six years and overall has 23 years of experience coaching the position with other stints coming at Porter, Pace, Rivera and Harlingen South.

He had confidence Gomez would do well when given his chance to start.

“We’re just thankful Alexis was able to step in after Abel went down and we’re just so proud he was able to come back from the knee injury he suffered last year,” said Martinez, who was a standout running back along with fellow Chargers assistant coach Sammy Montalvo on the 1979 Pace team that went 9-1. “You can see Alexis is really starting to blossom now with more reps.

“Alexis is extremely quick and he runs low to the ground,” the coach added. “He’s actually a pretty fast runner, too. His speed may be deceiving, unlike Abel’s. Alexis runs real well and breaks a lot of tackles.

“We’re just happy that we’ve come this far in the season and that our kiddos are working their tails off. They’re doing everything we’re asking of them.”

Gomez said the Chargers are displaying their abilities on the field and nothing more need be said.

“Just watch us play,” he said. “That says it all.”

By ROY HESS | Staff Writer

A big part of the success Brownsville Veterans Memorial is enjoying in volleyball this season is thanks to its seniors.

Like many other teams, the now two-time District 32-5A champion Lady Chargers (24-7 overall, 13-0 district) are thriving and being led by their 12th-graders.

That group of seniors for Brownsville Veterans includes middle blockers Bridget Himes and Rebecca Cardenas, outside hitter/all-around player Cassie Valdez, outside hitter Cynthia Garcia, right side hitter Brianna Estrada, libero Kasandra Jimenez and back-row defensive player Maryela Angeles, who has been out since the beginning of the season due to an unexpected surgery.

“First of all, I feel beyond blessed,” Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares said. “I’ve had half of these girls with me for three years and the other half for two. They’ve made me laugh, they’ve made me cry and made me get more grey hair. But most importantly, they have made me so proud of them and the young women they have become.

“It seems like yesterday I had them as freshmen in two-a-days,” Mares added. “I knew this group was going to be special, and they have certainly done that. Though they come from different families, they are sisters. Their relationship may not always be perfect, but they all have the same goal and they won’t let anything impede that or them.”
Jimenez said the seniors have undertaken a journey together in reaching this point.

“I feel like we’ve grown a lot together because I’ve played with these girls since middle school,” she said. “Getting to grow up with them and playing volleyball together has been a beautiful experience with this being our last year.”

The team’s goal includes finishing as the 32-5A champion with a 14-0 district record for the second straight season. The Lady Chargers can reach that objective with a victory Tuesday at Donna High.
Then it will be on to the Class 5A playoffs, which start Oct. 30.

“I’m going to remember this group for the rest of my life,” said Valdez, who after graduation has committed to play softball at UT-San Antonio. “We have a great bond with each other on and off the court. It’s an honor to play for this team.

“When we started the season we didn’t really know what to expect because all the teams are good in this district,” Valdez added. “It’s just been a matter of taking it match by match. We’re going to try to go very far in the playoffs.”

Added Cardenas, “Our seniors have a lot of heart for the game, and I believe that’s what makes us a dominant team in district. Playing together with the chemistry we have is a benefit that has helped us become district champs.

“This honestly feels amazing,” Cardenas added. “Having some (returning) girls who were used to playing together was a good feeling coming back this season. We were hoping we would win district again. I thought we would be in this position because we have some good girls, but I was also concerned because all the teams (in our district) are getting better and more challenging. Part of me was concerned and part of me was confident that we would do well, and we have.

“I love my team and being together with these girls. It’s such a good team.”

Estrada said the Lady Chargers’ unity among the seniors and everyone else on the squad is a big plus.

“It means a lot to me to play on this team because a lot of people don’t have this opportunity,” she said. “We’re so close-bonded and we’ve worked so hard to win district (again). It’s a very good feeling. On this team, everyone is a part of it and everyone is supportive. That’s something very important about this team.”
Angeles’ senior season of volleyball didn’t turn out the way she wanted because of her unexpected surgery back in August. Still, she’s been a presence on the bench all season and supporting her teammates in whatever way possible.

“It’s been bittersweet because I’ve seen the girls growing,” Angeles said. “Of course, I wanted to be a part of it, and in a way, I am because I’m there on the sidelines cheering them on. Seeing them grow and seeing what they’ve accomplished is great.

“We’ve played together a long time and you can see the growth the girls have made on the court,” she added. “I can tell from the bench that we trust each other, and I like seeing that. Being a part of this team is kind of like a second family for me. Going through everything with them is great and something I really enjoy.”

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 |THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The Hanna Lady Golden Eagles avoided playoff elimination with Saturday’s District 32-6A volleyball win at home against Harlingen High.

Trailing 2-1 after the first three games, the Lady Eagles dug deep and found the resolve they needed to prevail 25-16, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-8.

A Hanna loss would have clinched a spot in the postseason for the Lady Cardinals and ended the Lady Eagles’ playoff chances, although one match date remains in 32-6A on Tuesday.

Now Hanna and Harlingen High are each 7-6 in district and vying for 32-6A’s fourth-place playoff spot. Teams already in the playoffs from 32-6A are Rivera (13-0), Los Fresnos (10-3) and San Benito (9-4). The playoffs begin Oct. 30.

“This win feels amazing,” said Ryann Wood, Hanna’s senior middle blocker. “We had been losing some matches and we weren’t sure if we were going to make it to the playoffs. This win meant everything. It was over for us (if we had lost to Harlingen High).

“Getting off to a slow start has been our biggest problem for most of the season, but today we came out (and played well from the beginning),” she added. “We really wanted it. Today, everyone just came together, and I’m so proud to be a part of this team. Every girl here is important. Without everyone on this team (contributing), we would have lost this match. Everyone did her job.”

The district schedule ends Tuesday as Hanna plays at Weslaco East and Harlingen High is at home against San Benito.

If the Lady Eagles and Lady Cardinals finish district in a tie after Tuesday’s matches, a “play-in” match would be arranged for later in the week to determine which team goes to the postseason as 32-6A’s No. 4 seed.

The Lady Cardinals had beaten Hanna 28-30, 25-21, 25-17, 25-13 on Sept. 26 in Harlingen during the first round of district competition.

“It was do or die for us today and the girls fought hard,” Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said. “I think it was an awesome match by both teams. Both teams gave it their all. Honestly, it could have gone either way because the Lady Cardinals have a great team.

“Game 4 was crucial for us,” he added. “That’s why I’m so proud of our girls. They played through the little lows we had. The Lady Cardinals didn’t have any lows, except for maybe in the fifth set. The Harlingen girls played really tough.”

The fourth game was pivotal for Hanna. There were 10 ties before a kill by Xitlali Montes de Oca ended the last deadlock and put the Lady Eagles ahead for good 18-17. A tip by Wood closed out the fourth game 25-20 and sent the match to a deciding fifth set.

Hanna surged to a 10-3 advantage in the fifth game on a tip by Odalys Gonzalez en route to taking the final set 15-8 to capture the match on a tip by Montes de Oca.

“It’s frustrating because we just can’t finish,” Lady Cardinals coach Joslynn Torres said.

Standouts at the net for the Lady Cardinals included Taegan Dickey, Yazmine Martinez and Desiree Sanchez. Also for the Lady Cardinals, Alina Prado had three serving aces.

Wood led Hanna with 15 kills, five blocks and a pair of aces. Other standouts for Hanna included Gonzalez (six blocks, four kills), Nataly Davila (four blocks, three kills), Montes de Oca (10 kills, four digs), Melina Morales (25 digs) and Tabitha Fernandez (21 assists).

By ROY HESS | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

DONNA — The Pace Vikings won with just 10 seconds to spare.

Tied or trailing the entire game until only 10 seconds remained on the scoreboard, the Vikings came back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter and scored twice in the final 1:19 on a pair of quarterback Randy Aguilar passes to slot receiver Carlos Pulido to defeat Donna North 34-27 Friday night at Bennie LaPrade Stadium.

With the District 32-5A triumph on homecoming night for Donna North, the Vikings (3-4 overall, 2-2 district) now have won two of their last three games while coming off last week’s 61-21 setback at home against Mercedes.

“It was the best feeling ever to help my team,” said Pulido, a junior. “It was incredible.”

Donna North’s Adrian Sanchez gave his team a 27-14 advantage at the 11:44 mark of the fourth quarter by scoring on a 6-yard run.

But the Vikings were just getting started.

Aguilar threw a 56-yard TD pass to wideout Gabriel Zapata with 10:38 left as Pace pulled to within 27-20. It then became 27-26 with 1:19 to go as Pulido caught a 32-yard scoring aerial from Aguilar in the left corner of the end zone. Pace’s try for the two-point conversion failed, so the Vikings still trailed by one point.

One drive earlier, the Vikings had driven to the Donna North 1-yard line only to fumble the ball away. Things looked pretty bleak at that point for Pace.

Yet, behind by one point and with only 1:19 showing on the clock, the Vikings recovered an onside kick and scored seconds later to go ahead for the very first time — with just 10 seconds left to be exact — when Pulido caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Aguilar in the back of the end zone.

Aguilar threw four TD passes on the night — two to Zapata and two to Pulido. Aguilar completed 13 of 19 passes for 271 yards with his four TDs and one interception.

Brandon Zapata caught a two-point conversion pass from Aguilar after the Vikings’ final TD to make it 34-27.

The Vikings overcame four turnovers — three lost fumbles and an interception.

“My blood pressure’s a little high after this one,” Pace coach Danny Pardo said. “But you know what? I’ll take this ugly win instead of a pretty loss anytime.

“Offensively, we know we can move the ball, but defensively, we had some issues,” he added. “We responded better (defensively) near the end. We had some defensive stops at just the right time. This win gives us confidence, and we sure need it.”

Donna North QB Gus Alvarez’s 1-yard keeper put the Chiefs up 7-0 with 7:24 showing in the second quarter, but Pace answered to tie it 7-7 with 4:36 to go before halftime when Zapata scored from 16 yards out on a reverse play going from right to left.

Sergio Canales caught a 26-yard scoring pass from Alvarez with 1:29 remaining before intermission to put the home team up 14-7.

Pace made it 14-14 at halftime when Zapata caught a 27-yard TD pass from Aguilar with only 30 seconds left before the break.

Donna North (1-6, 1-3) was coming off last week’s 38-21 triumph at home against Porter. It was the Chiefs’ first win of the season.

Overshadowed by the loss was a 166-yard rushing performance by Chiefs running back Tony Gomez. He scored on a 42-yard run at the 6:56 mark of the third period to make it 20-14.

District action continues for both squads next week as Pace plays host to Edcouch-Elsa on Thursday and Donna North goes against city rival Donna High on Friday at Bennie LaPrade Stadium.

By ROY HESS | The Brownsville Herald

The UIL state playoffs in volleyball start Oct. 30.

The playoff picture in Districts 32-6A and 32-5A is coming together as the regular season winds down.

There are two match dates remaining in each district with plenty of time allowed after the final matches next Tuesday to settle any ties that might exist to determine postseason qualifiers.

Thanks to their 25-7, 25-7, 25-15 win at home Tuesday against Weslaco East, the Rivera Lady Raiders (12-0) have clinched at least a tie for the 32-6A championship.

Rivera closes out the regular season at second-place Los Fresnos (10-2) at noon Saturday and plays at home at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday against Harlingen South.

Los Fresnos is the only other 32-6A team that has clinched a playoff spot. The district’s final two postseason berths will go to San Benito (8-4), Harlingen High (7-5) or Hanna (6-6). Hanna is at home against Harlingen High at noon Saturday and San Benito is at Harlingen High at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

The Lady Raiders are district champions for the first time since 2007.

Rivera’s solid, consistent play on defense perhaps has been the difference in giving the Lady Raiders a bit of an edge against the other quite competitive teams in 32-6A.

“Our girls have been playing aggressively and pretty smart,” Rivera coach Elizabeth Avelar-Guerra said recently. “I tell our girls to keep the ball alive (defensively) because when they do that, the other team’s offense tends to get frustrated. I know that for a fact because it’s happened to us.

“But you can’t get frustrated offensively when that happens (against a defense that handles everything),” the Rivera coach added. “You have to pick up the ball and keep going, point by point. It’s human nature to get a little frustrated when you thought that a hit should have been a kill and it isn’t. The key is to keep going, keep fighting. Our girls are doing that.”

Avelar-Guerra is doing her best to keep the Lady Raiders focused and consistently playing at a high level.

“It’s about playing one match at a time, one point at a time, and not getting overconfident,” she said. “It has to be one match at a time. Any opponent can beat you if you’re not ready. We have to play hard whether we’re ahead by 10 points, five points or whatever. It doesn’t matter what the score might be.

“Our whole team is playing very well together right now,” she added. “It’s a tough district and we know we’ve got to fight for every win. I’m really proud of the girls because it is such a tough district and they’re right there (in first place).”

DISTRICT 32-5A UPDATE

Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s 25-21, 22-25, 25-10, 25-16 win at Porter on Tuesday enabled the Lady Chargers (12-0) to win the outright 32-5A title for the second straight season.

Donna High and Edcouch-Elsa, both 9-3, share second place in 32-5A and have clinched playoff spots along with Brownsville Veterans.

With two matches to go, Pace and Lopez are tied for fourth place in 32-5A with 5-7 records. Just like last year, it appears one of those two teams will be the fourth-place seed in the playoffs from the district.

Lopez is at E-E at 4 p.m. Saturday and Pace is at Donna High at 3 p.m. the same day. If the Lady Vikings and Lady Lobos are still tied for fourth after Saturday, the deadlock will be broken when Lopez plays at home against Pace at 7 p.m. next Tuesday in a regular-season finale.

The Pace-Lopez winner likely will face Mission Veterans, the Valley’s top-ranked team, in the 5A bi-district playoffs.

OF NOTE

Port Isabel remains in the thick of the playoff hunt in District 32-4A along with first-place La Feria and second-place Raymondville. Zapata and Rio Hondo are also in the mix. The Lady Tarpons are trying to return to the Class 4A playoffs after a one year’s absence.

The third-place Lady Tarpons (7-6) are coming off Tuesday’s four-set win at home against Zapata.

The final day of matches in 32-4A is scheduled next Monday.

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