By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — To prepare for this season, Adrianna Martinez and Yvette Tamez played together on summer league teams. As a setter-middle blocker duo, their cohesiveness could ultimately influence how Donna High performs this year.
And given that the Bravettes switched to a 5-1 formation, in which Martinez is the team’s lone setter, a lot is riding on that combination.
So far, though, it seems to be working. Martinez picked up 19 assists, plenty of those Tamez, who finished with nine kills, and Donna cruised past Edcouch-Elsa 25-20, 25-21, on Saturday to capture the Donna ISD Invitational title at home.
Their fluidity on offense is one that has grown throughout the summer, two-a-day practices and now into the season, where the Bravettes are 4-1. Donna admittedly got off to a slow start, but winning three games Saturday, including the championship match, Martinez said, was confirmation “that our team is finally connecting.”
Joining varsity as a sophomore, Martinez was nervous. She understood the speed of the game, and the velocity of the hits, were faster than she experienced on JV the previous year. But there was also the change in system that Donna was going through.
After graduating five seniors, the Bravettes were left with only one willing player to take on setter duties. And considering the team has aspirations of building on a year in which it was co-district champs, Martinez knew she would inherit plenty of responsibility.
So, the two worked diligently in June and July to perfect their set-ups. Martinez knows Tamez, an All-Valley selection as a junior last year, “likes really quick sets.” That was an adjustment for Martinez, who was used to doling out high lobs.
Now that the two are on the same page, Tamez can crush the ball with the same ferocity she had last season.
“She’s doing really good,” Tamez said of Martinez. “She knows what we want and how we like it.”
The two closed out the tournament as big contributors, with Martinez recording nine digs and an ace, and Tamez adding two aces, six digs and eight blocks to earn tournament MVP honors.
“The girls really stepped it up,” said Donna coach Cindy Viesca, whose team also beat Mercedes and Laredo Nixon on Saturday. “They were really excited to win this. In the past, we’ve been runner-ups, but they had a chance to win it and they stepped it up.”
The Lady Yellowjackets were led by Samantha Martinez, who had eight kills, eight digs, seven assists and one ace. Jackie Alvarado had 13 digs, and Jackie De Los Santos added nine assists, three digs, one ace and one kill.
The win had added significance for Donna, considering it split the district title with Edcouch-Elsa last season.
Viesca, however, maintains that she’s fielding a different team now, even with seven returners (six of those seniors) in the fold.
Part of that is their new look on offense, going with one setter instead of two. Viesca said no one wanted to assume that responsibility, but Martinez has emerged as a capable replacement.
“It’s a big position to fill, big shoes, for our seniors that left this past year,” Martinez said. “But I think our connection with the setters and hitters is great. It’s working.”