PHARR — Ocirema Leal transferred to Pharr Vanguard because of its esteemed academics.
“I asked my mom if they had sports,” Leal said. “She told me yes, but not the one I wanted the most — volleyball.”
A self-described competitor since she “was young,” Leal was excited when she learned the school was starting that program during her first year there and would compete in the UIL’s District 31-3A.
Now she’s part of a senior-heavy squad that has claimed the school’s first varsity sports district championship, finishing the regular season with an 8-1 district record and earning the top seed for the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Spartans will play Brownsville Riverview at 1 p.m. Saturday at home, their second straight trip to the playoffs.
“We had a goal coming into the season and we met that goal,” Vanguard head coach David Guzman said. “But we’re all in agreement that the job is not done yet.”
Following the Spartans into the postseason from District 31-3A are Lyford (7-2), North Mission IDEA and Weslaco Pike IDEA. Vanguard grabbed the fourth seed last year during their final regular-season match.
Leal, a senior setter, said the team has many of the same players as the past two years but brings a completely different mentality.
“Throughout these years at Vanguard, the girls’ perspectives have changed,” Leal said. “Yes, education is first and will always be, but we’re also student-athletes, so there are two things to balance — pass our classes and come and win a game. Everyone’s point of view has changed and students want to join sports.
“I’m beyond excited. We went through a tough situation last year but it didn’t make us stop trying — we’ve given our all and it has paid off.”
Saturday’s winner advances to the second round and plays Tuesday against the winner of Santa Gertrudis and Skidmore.
First, however, comes Riverview, which finished fourth in its district. Brownsville Jubilee captured first and was followed by Frontera in second, Santa Rosa in third and Riverview.”
“They have a couple of very good hitters and they are a good team,” said Guzman, who also led the school’s basketball team to the playoffs two seasons ago. “They started at the same time and same way we started and now they are junior or senior-heavy. It’s a matter of who wants it more Saturday afternoon.
“There has been excitement in the air since we got the district championship trophy. I told the girls to enjoy this moment. Be a sponge and soak it up and share it with their sisters because we are a family. But we’re still not done yet.”
Leal and Dalilah Hernandez are the team’s two setters and they have a variety of hitters, including Fatima Vasquez, Mia Cantu and Chloe De La Rosa. Leal, Vasquez and Hernandez are three of the team’s five seniors while Cantu is one of three juniors and De La Rosa is one of two sophomores on the 10-person roster.
“If you want something, you have to work for it,” said Leal, the team’s captain. “You have to keep moving, keep going and never slow down. We have a strong team that’s good in all areas and for many of us this is our last year. So, do you want it or not?
“Everything changed this year. Last year we wanted to have fun but now we’re striving for more and you can tell all the girls want more, and having fun. We are making history. No matter what, this is the first district title for this school. We’re all going home now with the mentality of, ‘We want this.’”