By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — For as much as Donna High would have enjoyed an unblemished march to the playoffs, coach Cindy Viesca took solace in the lessons that came from losing to PSJA High during the first round of district.
The four-set hiccup back in September served as something of an omen for a team that very much breezed through 32-5A last year en route to its first district title, and playoff appearance, in a decade. It reinforced the idea that matches could be lost, if not taken serious.
So in facing PSJA High a second time, the Bravettes took care of business early, securing a 25-19, 25-17, 25-21 win to draw a two-way tie for second place in district.
“We really wanted it,” said Yvette Tamez, who delivered a team-high 16 kills. “We want a chance for the district title, so we had to play stronger than we’ve played before.”
On the heels of losses to PSJA High and Edcouch-Elsa, Donna (29-9 overall, 9-2 in 32-5A) was intent on splitting the season series against one of its biggest threats for the district title. After Brownsville Porter and Donna North, the Bravettes will close out the regular season against Edcouch-Elsa (26-10, 10-1), who beat Mercedes on Saturday to remain atop the standings.
The next few matches could churn out a multitude of outcomes, from a three-way tie for first place to E-E taking sole possession. Last year, Donna didn’t lose until the regular-season finale against the Lady Yellowjackets, resulting in a shared district crown.
The Bravettes did their part to stay in mix Saturday by recording their sixth 32-5A sweep of the season, including their fourth straight.
Melanie Arenas chipped in with nine kills and six digs, and Kara Yanez contributed 30 digs, as Donna clinched a postseason berth.
“I saw a lot of determination and drive,” Viesca said. “The girls put the points on the board and stayed aggressive. They never looked back.”
The turning point was a 9-0 run that turned a 14-12 deficit to a 21-14 cushion in Game 1. Tamez scored four times during that stretch with help from Adrianna Martinez (34 assists) to pull away.
“Yvette was freaking hot. She was hitting everything,” PSJA coach Lili Talamantez said. “They were ready to play ball, and our defense just couldn’t adjust.”
In winning, the Bravettes avenged a Sept. 22 loss at PSJA in which Donna committed 12 serving errors. On Saturday, they cut that number to five as they tied PSJA (16-8, 9-2) for second place in the standings.
“Having that experience that you could lose along the way (as Donna did earlier), that helped us step up,” Viesca said. “When we got our losses, it helped us understand that we’re not going to win them all, and we have to step up and play to the level of teams we’re facing.”
She added: “We need to keep playing at this level that we’re playing now, with this intensity, being aggressive and taking every team like we have to win out from here on out.”