BY JON R. LAFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — In a match which could decide the District 31-5A volleyball title, Mission Veterans Memorial staved off a competitive Sharyland Pioneer team on the road in four sets, winning 25-19, 25-27, 25-18, 25-21.
Gabby Lerma led the Lady Patriots (30-7, 8-1) with 19 kills, five of which came in the final set.
“We kept saying we had to swing away at everything,” Mission Vets coach Diana Lerma said. “We said, ‘Put the ball away before they do.’”
Gabby Lerma, who also contributed with 25 digs and 11 aces, was consistently fed the ball in the game’s waning moments. Her teammates set her up with pristine passing, and Gabby Lerma drove a pair of forceful spikes into the ground to score the final two points.
Earlier in the fourth set, however, the scoreboard favored Pioneer by a margin of 8-2. The Lady Patriots looked uncharacteristically lost and committed several errors leading to free points for the other side.
After a score by D.D. Ibarra (17 kills, 16 assists, 29 digs), Mission Vets regained its focus and went on a 14-8 run to tie the game at 16.
“We had to change our lineup,” Diana Lerma said. “The key thing for them, however, was that everyone had to do their part.
Pioneer felt the sting of the close loss.
“We made too many errors,” Pioneer coach Laura Cavazos said. “And when you play a team like (the Lady Patriots), you can’t make mistakes.”
Though they came up short, that’s not to say Pioneer (28-12, 9-4) made it easy. Aside from the opening set, the Lady Diamondbacks were resilient for much of the afternoon, winning the second set in pugnacious fashion.
None were more pugnacious for Pioneer than senior Nora Monie. The team captain led the Lady Diamondbacks with 10 kills in addition to 16 digs and two aces.
“She does a great job controlling the court and making sure that everybody knows what they’re doing,” Cavazos said.
Monie displayed her leadership skills all afternoon, barking orders to her teammates, calling plays and pleading her case to the refs, who remained unmoved by her arguments.
Only a half-game separated the teams before Saturday’s contest. The win distances the Lady Patriots from their district peers as the postseason draws closer.
“We needed this win because (Pioneer) is an aggressive hitting and blocking and scoring team,” Duaba Lerma said. “In order for us to advance in the playoffs, we have to stay aggressive.”
Saturday’s contest marked the second time the two teams have faced each other this season. Mission Vets swept Pioneer in a Sept. 24 match and won convincingly, 25-7, 25-11, 25-9.