By STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writer
Alexandra Parchmont’s presence on both ends of the floor for Brownsville Veterans Memorial was a consistent source of reassurance for first-year Lady Chargers coach Arnold Torres and his staff.
Getting a lockdown defensive effort from her night after night was such a sure thing that teammates Alexa Torres and Lizzie Garza couldn’t stand the thought of Parchmont not returning to be a part of a team that went on to a 32-win season and a District 32-5A title.
“Every game, I always play my heart out,” Parchmont said. “Nobody would play defense the way I would play it.”
And yet, the two-sport star who was also the libero for the Lady Chargers’ volleyball team considered skipping out on her senior season.
“(Alexa and Lizzie) were the ones who mainly forced me to join,” Parchmont said with a laugh. “Not only because it was my senior year, but I had friends who wanted to not only win district but get as far as we could (in the playoffs).”
Overcoming some of her own self-doubt and resolving off-court issues, Parchmont rallied around the support of family and friends, who encouraged her to make the most of her last chance to suit up for Brownsville Veterans for a season that she said was “the best one yet.”
“I did speak to (Parchmont) at the beginning of the season and told her we would really like her to be a part of the team,” Torres said. “Because everybody had a big piece in the success we had as a team this year. If it had been Alexandra or any of the other girls who decided not to join, it would have been a big difference in terms of the success the team had.”
To top it off, Parchmont was named The Brownsville Herald’s 2019-2020 All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
She said the support and mentorship of Torres, who was also her volleyball coach, helped her develop into a more complete player.
“I have been able to grow with him a lot over these four years,” Parchmont said. “So that was partially why I felt so comfortable coming back.”
Coaches put a premium on defense for a reason — the demand for defensive output doesn’t always match the supply they seek.
When a player’s eyes light up the way Parchmont’s do when fielding questions about her craft, it’s easy to see why Torres and his staff were so eager to ensure she could contribute to this year’s team.
She was the anchor of the Lady Chargers’ defense on the volleyball court as a libero, and as a versatile guard/forward on the hardwood that frequently switched on to the opponent’s top scorers.
“I love defense — the energy of just chasing someone and grabbing that ball,” Parchmont said.
She scored 6.3 points per game in district play and also grabbed 3 rebounds per game. Parchmont was the only Brownsville Veterans player other than junior point guard Juju Alvarez to record at least 2.9 steals and 2.9 assists per district contest.
At 5-foot-2, Parchmont bonded with the diminutive Alvarez over the defensive intensity the two brought to the table.
“Because of her size, and because she had that passion to want to do better,” Parchmont said. “Even though her height stopped her from doing half of the things that other girls are able to do.”
Her coach agreed, adding that Alvarez was “sneaky” on defense and had quick hands, which made her able to anticipate the arrival of the ball well.
“(Alvarez’s) contributions were just as important as everybody else defensively,” Torres said. “Her skills are probably just as good as Alexandra’s are, they just play differently.”
One of seven other seniors on an experienced squad, Parchmont took responsibility for what she felt was an initial lack of communication on switches early on in the regular season, and took it upon herself to heed Torres’ advice. The Lady Chargers surrendered just 33 points per game on the season and held all but two district opponents to less than 40 points in each of their 32-5A victories.
“This whole year was a good memory and an amazing feeling (to experience it) throughout the whole thing,” Parchmont said. “The girls themselves just made it a lot better. … You could tell on the court that we just loved playing with each other.”