WESLACO — A spectator yelled “boom,” in excitement at the sight of Edna Cantu’s kill for Roma on Tuesday.
And if someone in the Weslaco East gymnasium was not looking, they would have still heard Cantu’s kill. It was Roma’s final point in the third set of a non-district matchup at Weslaco East.
Roma closed out the match in four sets 23-25, 25-20, 26-24 and 25-21.
“We have a lot more commitment to getting the ball and hitting the floor,” Roma sophomore libero Hannah Garza said as she compared this year’s team to last year’s. “It’s a really good team this year.”
Roma pulled away from a tight fourth set that featured three lead changes before the Gladiators went on a seven-point run to finish the set.
Cantu elevated again late during the third set for another game-winning kill attempt with a 24-23 lead, but two Weslaco East defenders were there for a crucial block to keep the Wildcats alive for another volley.
But it was not enough to hold off Roma’s attack.
Weslaco East head coach Corina Nava called timeout after Anelle Mascorro served three straights ace serving points.
It proved to be the answer as Mascorro hit the net on her following serve, allowing Weslaco East to break Roma’s momentum during the fourth set.
“We made a lot of mistakes together as a team, but we know what we need to fix and we are going to go over it with film,” Weslaco East senior libero Adriana Gonzalez said. “We are going to work on it in practice and we’re going to get better from here.
Weslaco East led in each of the matches but couldn’t hold off Roma attacks.
“I just kept telling the girls you got to stay focused,” Roma head coach Angie Garcia said. “Do what you’re supposed to, stay calm and don’t let the pressure get to you.”