By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
The Port Isabel Lady Tarpons face an important District 32-4A volleyball test at home at 6:30 p.m. Friday against La Feria.
The match was moved up from Saturday to Friday.
The Lady Tarpons and Lionettes are each 5-1 and share second place in the district race, and each has lost to 6-0 Zapata. The first round of district play in 32-4A ends this weekend.
Port Isabel, La Feria and Zapata shared the district title last season, and they appear to be the three front-runners in 32-4A again this year.
The Lady Tarpons have won five straight matches since their district-opening loss in four games at Zapata on Sept. 12.
“Our girls know the importance of this match (against La Feria), and all of them, really,” Port Isabel coach Julie Breedlove said. “They’re ready to play, and they’re excited.
“I have all the confidence in the world in my girls,” Breedlove added. “We feel we are prepared to play well in these next two matches.”
After facing La Feria, the Lady Tarpons play host to Zapata next Tuesday.
Breedlove said she likes the way a pair of her sophomores, Madison Bickerton and Olivia Soliz, are showing improvement at the net.
“Our sophomore middle blockers are really coming around,” the Port Isabel coach said. “They’ve made tremendous improvement. They’re hungry, and they want to go for a kill.”
Breedlove said Simone Harry continues to hit with power from the outside and added setters Natalie Salinas, Larissa Torres and Carolina Guevara continue to perform well.
“We’re doing better with our communication and movement (on the court),” Breedlove said. “The last couple of matches, I think the girls have started to really realize the importance of those things.”
ANOTHER SHOWDOWN: The District 32-6A-leading Los Fresnos Lady Falcons, ranked No. 2 in the Rio Grande Valley, will try to close out the first round of district action with an unbeaten record at 7-0 when they play host to No. 8 Hanna at noon Saturday.
The 32-6A defending co-champion Lady Falcons (29-8, 6-0 district) are coming off Tuesday’s 25-21, 25-17, 20-25, 25-15 victory at No. 6 Brownsville Veterans Memorial (22-11, 5-1).
Hanna (21-11, 5-1) is coming off Tuesday’s 25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 22-25, 15-12 victory against Rivera (16-18, 3-3). Rivera and San Benito play Saturday and are are tied for fourth place in 32-6A at 3-3.
“We’re going to try to keep them from breaking away and look for a chance to win,” Hanna coach Ansgar Hagemann said of Saturday’s match at Los Fresnos. “We know we’re the underdogs. I also know our girls will play their hearts out.”
Brownsville Veterans took Los Fresnos to four games on Tuesday. It was the first time in district this season the Lady Falcons didn’t win with a 3-0 sweep.
“It wasn’t an easy win at all,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said of Tuesday’s match. “It should be the same type of match against Hanna.
“Hanna always steps up their game when we play them,” she added. “The intensity will be the same (as it was Tuesday).”
CHANGES: Due to SAT testing, Saturday’s 32-6A matches that have San Benito at Rivera and Brownsville Veterans at Lopez will start at 3 p.m. instead of noon. The same will be the case on Oct. 24 for ACT testing.
The Port Isabel and La Feria football teams each are open Friday, so that’s why the La Feria at Port Isabel volleyball match in 32-4A was moved from 1 p.m. Saturday to 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.