By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Consistency is the name of the game for the Brownsville Veterans Memorial volleyball team as the state playoffs begin.
That’s what Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares wants to see from her squad as it opens the Class 6A bi-district playoffs at home at 7 p.m. Monday against PSJA Memorial.
The Lady Chargers (29-12) finished second in District 32-6A, and the Lady Wolverines (25-14) wound up third in District 31-6A.
“My focus for the team from the beginning this season has been consistency and defense,” said Mares, whose squad advanced three rounds in the postseason one year ago. “Defensively, I think we’ve improved and been doing a pretty good job, and consistency? Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it isn’t, so I think that’s what is going to be crucial for us.
“We have to be consistent in every match and not lose focus,” Mares added. “I’ve been trying to impress that on the girls to have fewer and fewer errors. Once you get to the playoffs all the teams are good, so any little error can cost you.”
The Brownsville Veterans-PSJA Memorial winner is expected to go up against the Mission High-Laredo United winner later this week in an area-round playoff match.
“I’m letting the girls know that’s it’s up to them,” Mares said. “I told them, ‘It’s up to you how far we go in the playoffs.’”
The only other bi-district playoff match scheduled Monday involving a Metro-area team will find Port Isabel of District 32-4A taking on Rockport-Fulton of District 31-4A at 7:30 p.m. at Riviera. That Class 4A match will be the second half of a doubleheader at Riviera as Corpus Christi London and San Isidro battle in a Class 2A contest at 5 p.m.
While Brownsville Veterans plays Monday, the other three teams from 32-6A have their bi-district matches scheduled for Tuesday. It will be PSJA North (16-18) at Los Fresnos (37-8) at 6:30 p.m., Edinburg High (31-7) at Hanna (26-13) at 7 p.m. and San Benito (11-15) at Edinburg North (30-10) at 7 p.m.
Los Fresnos, a Region IV-6A Tournament qualifier last season, won 32-6A this year with a 14-0 record and is ranked No. 2 in the Rio Grande Valley behind Mission Veterans Memorial. Edinburg North, ranked No. 7, won 31-6A with an 11-1 mark. Brownsville Veterans, Edinburg High and Hanna are ranked sixth, ninth and 10th, respectively, in the Valley.
“We know there will be tough teams ahead in the playoffs,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “We have to be ready to play every point. Going out in the first round would just be the hardest thing. Something like that would just kill us, so that’s why we just need to focus and be ready to play well. We practice hard, and we have to play like we practice.”
Facing perhaps the toughest challenge will be the Pace Lady Vikings (12-15) as they go up against top-ranked Mission Veterans (36-3). Their Class 5A bi-district match against the Lady Patriots will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Pace gym.
“We’re just going to keep working hard and see what we can do,” said Ebony Casanova, Pace’s junior libero.
All second-round playoff matches will take place later this week.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.