MISSION — Hidalgo entered its road game against Sharyland High on a bit of a hot streak, but on Saturday, the Rattlers turned the heat up on the Pirates.
Hidalgo and Sharyland went back-and-forth for five sets as the Pirates ultimately prevailed 25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13 in the non-district match at Sharyland High School.
The Pirates seemed to be in complete control after the first two sets. Vanessa Espinoza and Melanie Salinas came up big early for Hidalgo around the net, working their way to 25-18 and 25-22 wins for a 2-0 lead.
But the Rattlers refused to go down.
Sharyland High fought back from a 9-5 deficit in the third set as Marissa Jones and Marianna Martinez led the Rattlers to a 25-23 win to stay alive. Without the Rattlers big hitter Tristen Maddox on the floor, it was attacking by committee as Sharyland High’s group put things together to claim the fourth set 25-22.
With a decisive fifth-set needed to crown a winner, Hidalgo fifth-year head coach Kaydee Benavidez told her group to go out and have fun after dropping the third and fourth sets.
“I told them to get rid of that feeling. They tend to sit back and get a blank look in their eyes, I said go back to the feeling of having a good time and enjoying the game,” Benavidez said. “We came together as a team. We were a little short fighting in the third and fourth match, but we put it together and came together after those two straight losses.”
Hidalgo proceeded to win a 15-13 nail-biter in the fifth, giving the Pirates a win over an established program like Sharyland High before Hidalgo embarks on its journey into district play beginning Tuesday.
“When we go into our district, we know what we can do. That’s what I’m looking for when we play these winning schools, it’s a team builder for us, and I think we came together as a team today,” Benavidez said.
Salinas, one of Hidalgo’s captains, finished with a team-high 12 kills, while Espinoza and Fuentes were right behind her with 10 kills apiece. Jackie Garcia and Soleil Garza contributed six kills each, as Garza also led the match with 22 assists.
With nine returning players from a season ago, the motivation is already built in this year’s Pirates team.
“We want to win district. We’ve worked hard. Last year we came in second and fell short. I have nine returning from last year, so they know the feeling of being close and then losing it, so we need to come together and finish it this year,” Benavidez said.