By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Pace’s reward for making the playoffs as the fourth-place volleyball team from District 32-5A?
The Lady Vikings (12-15) will go up against District 31-5A champion Mission Veterans Memorial (36-3), the Rio Grande Valley’s No. 1 team, in the Class 5A bi-district playoffs.
The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Pace gym.
The Lady Vikings are coming off Tuesday’s 27-25, 25-9, 25-16 victory at PSJA Southwest that earned them a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2010.
Now it’s a matter of preparing for the Lady Patriots, who are led by senior power hitter Daisy Reyna, among others.
“Mission Veterans does the exact same thing that we do,” Pace coach Gavin Rudder said. “They still have to bump, set and spike it, plus serve and block and everything else just like us, so it’s just another volleyball team on the other side of the net. We just have to work hard this week and get ready for them.”
Added Jessica Aguilar, a senior setter/outside hitter for the Lady Vikings, “It’s been a few years (since Pace was in the playoffs). I’m just proud of the girls. We pushed through, and I’m glad we’re here.”
Rudder, now in his third season directing the Lady Vikings, said the Pace girls have adapted to him, and vice versa.
“It’s a good feeling to be in the playoffs,” he said. “These girls have worked so hard since I got here, and if there’s a team that deserves it it’s this team right here. These girls have stuck with me, and they’ve dealt with my coaching style and my yelling and everything. They’ve worked hard and they’re coming through.”
PAIRINGS SET: First-round playoff matchups are set for Metro-area teams with four of five local squads playing at home for the bi-district round early next week.
From District 32-6A, Los Fresnos, Hanna and Brownsville Veterans Memorial are all playing at home along with 32-5A qualifier Pace.
Only Port Isabel from the Metro area is on the road. The Lady Tarpons of District 32-4A take on Rockport-Fulton of District 31-4A at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Riviera.
The other match Monday involving an area team has Brownsville Veterans at home against PSJA Memorial at 7 p.m.
In addition to the Pace-Mission Veterans 5A match Tuesday, other bi-district pairings that day for area 6A teams have Edinburg High at Hanna at 7 p.m. and PSJA North at Los Fresnos at 6:30 p.m.
The only 32-6A team on the road for bi-district will be San Benito traveling to Edinburg North at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The second round of postseason play is scheduled Nov. 5 through 7.
PROGRAM SUCCESS: The Brownsville Veterans volleyball program is showing its penchant for success from top to bottom.
During somewhat of a rebuilding year, the Lady Chargers emerged as the second-place finisher this season behind Los Fresnos in the 32-6A varsity race, and the Brownsville Veterans junior varsity won the district title. The school’s freshman team did well, too.
““I’m just really happy with my program in general, and with what our coaches (Nubia De La Fuente, Noe Uribe, Arnold Torres and Tony Barbosa) are doing at the freshman and JV levels,” Lady Chargers coach Lisa Mares said. “They’ve done a lot, and what they’re doing is helping us at the varsity level. I feel that’s why our (varsity) team and our program is getting better each year. It all starts with them (at the subvarsity level).”
The Lady Chargers will be attempting to duplicate or surpass their playoff showing of one year ago when they advanced to the third round.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.