By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Here they are again.
The Brownsville Veterans Memorial Lady Chargers are right back in a position to challenge for another district title in volleyball.
They’ve shared the district championship with Los Fresnos during each of the past two seasons.
The District 32-6A standings have Los Fresnos in first place with an 11-0 record, while Brownsville Veterans is close behind at 10-1. The Lady Falcons and Lady Chargers have clinched playoffs spots and are scheduled to play each other for the second time in district at noon Saturday at Los Fresnos.
While Brownsville Veterans may have surprised many by being in this position again with a team that came into its 2015 campaign as basically an unknown quantity, the Lady Chargers themselves are not at all surprised to be doing so well.
Even though the Lady Chargers graduated some key players from last year’s successful team, including All-Valley hitter Mariza Cardenas, they still brought back three experienced starters who have led the way for the team’s newcomers. Their presence has made a big difference, coach Lisa Mares said.
Those three returning senior starters are libero Krista Lopez and front-line hitters Sarah Sandoval and Megan Sanchez.
“I was real optimistic about our season because of those three girls,” said Mares, who last year guided the Lady Chargers to a 34-12 record and the third round of the playoffs. “All three of them are super athletic girls, and all three have been with me since their sophomore years.
“I knew it might be difficult because in past seasons those three hadn’t really been vocal leaders on the team, but I was still optimistic that we would do well,” added Mares, who is assisted by Arnold Torres. “I felt it was going to take some time but that we were going to get there because of those three. They may not be all that vocal, but the way they play speaks for itself.”
Through the course of the season, the Lady Chargers have evolved into one of the top teams in the Rio Grande Valley.
“We’ve been practicing together for a while now,” said Lopez, a 5-foot-2 libero and three-year starter. “We’ve gotten used to each other. We’re not (just) good as individuals, we’re good together.
“I think if we work together as a team, we have the potential to go far (in the playoffs),” added Lopez, who leads the team with 421 digs and 33 aces. “The key is working together. It’s been a process getting there. We had some sophomores move up (to the varsity) and we didn’t really know them, so it’s taken some time.
“In the beginning of the season, I think people didn’t really see us as being one of the better teams because we weren’t ranked. I believe that’s what has motivated us to get to (near) the top (of district) again, and we’re right there (challenging for another title).”
Added Sanchez, a 5-9 middle blocker/hitter who has started one season, “I think a lot of us are really willing to work hard to be successful. All of us were here during the summer for conditioning, and we do a lot of other (volleyball) things outside of school like playing club ball. I think that makes the difference for this team.”
Sanchez ranks second on the team in kills (170) and blocks (24) and fourth in aces (26).
The Lady Chargers, ranked No. 6 in the Valley, are 27-11 overall. They next play at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Harlingen High.
“It’s been a huge honor to play for this team,” said Sandoval, a 5-9 outside hitter and three-year starter. “The coaches have taught us to always have a fighting spirit in us. They say, ‘If you don’t have that, you don’t belong here.’ We’ve been trying to pass that on to the new girls who have come in this year, saying, ‘You can’t let go and you can’t back down. You have to fight for what you believe in.’
“It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for us, but I think it’s just been a continuation of how we were last season,” added Sandoval, who ranks first on the team with 175 kills, second with 257 digs and third with 27 aces. “Yes, we have new girls with not that much (varsity) experience, but they see what they need to work on, they work on it, and they’ve been getting better and better.
“With this group of girls, it’s not so much that we (as senior leaders) are loud, because we’re kind of quiet, but we can still get things done. We don’t talk about it too much because we know what we have to do. We’re just going out and getting it done.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.