PETER RASMUSSEN | SPORTS EDITOR
SAN JUAN — Sometimes frustrations work in your favor.
Edinburg Vela junior setter Julissa Cuellar was upset with her play during the third set of a Class 5A bi-district match Tuesday against PSJA High.
With the set slipping away from Vela, Cuellar channeled her anger into an impressive service game to help the Lady SaberCats sweep the Lady Bears 25-17, 25-18, 27-25 at PSJA High to advance to the area round of the playoffs against Flour Bluff. Specifics of the second round playoff match will be determined later. Vela has never advanced past the second round.
On Tuesday, Cuellar and the Lady SaberCats (34-12) needed to make sure they were going to get out of the first round. A determined Cuellar wanted to make up for her mistakes — and the Lady SaberCats needed it. After winning the first two sets comfortably, Vela trailed by 9 points twice in the third and was down 16-8 when Cuellar took the ball to serve.
She served the Lady SaberCats to 6 consecutive points. During that span, Cuellar recorded two aces, Bianca Cortez and Nicole Avelar each recorded a kill, and Vela only trailed 16-14.
Cuellar called Tuesday her best service game of the year. She also served out the third set to help secure the victory.
“I had to be confident in myself and with my team to put it all together,” Cuellar said. “I had to be confident to serve (the ball) to the other side and for the (Lady Bears) to bring it over and our team putting it down.”
Vela coach Araceli Ortega praised Cuellar for coming through when the team needed it the most.
“She was mad at herself,” Ortega said. “She was able to shake it off and held her own. When she gets into her own world, that’s her thing.”
The Lady SaberCats also received 4 crucial points in the third set from Karina Castillo. During her service game, Vela took the lead for the first time in the third set after another Avelar kill. The rest of the set went back and forth until Jaida Muhammad’s kill gave the Lady SaberCats a 26-25 lead. An unforced Lady Bears error closed out the match.
PSJA High (19-9) rushed out to a 12-3 lead in the third set and led 16-7 after a Jackie Alanis kill. Cortez’s tip kill made it 16-8 and set up Cuellar’s service game.
“You can’t give the other teams opportunities like that,” Ortega said. “I’m proud of my girls for pulling through in that last game and finding a way to win.”
Avelar led Vela with 11 kills, followed by Muhammad with 9. Cortez led the team with 7 blocks and Mariely Rebollar topped the Lady SaberCats with 11 assists.