BY MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — If Julia Monday and Sydney Pemelton display the level of chemistry on the court that suggests they’ve played more than their freshman year together, it’s because they have.
The McAllen High sophomore duo spent this past summer playing for the RGV Sting, traveling as far as Austin, Houston and San Antonio to represent their club team. Having only played the second half of district and playoffs on the same squad, the two frontcourt players accelerated their familiarity with one another by teaming to face some of the better competition outside the Valley.
“It made our playing bond that much stronger,” Pemelton said. “It helped us communicate better on the court, know how each other plays, and it just helped us skill-wise.”
As freshmen, the two got off to very different starts. From the outset, Pemelton was anointed the starting middle blocker on varsity. Monday didn’t earn her promotion from JV until district got underway. Even then, she played sparingly as an outside hitter.
Still, the two showed promise as the Lady Bulldogs advanced to third round of the playoffs, picking up the type of experience that has helped sixth-ranked McHi get off to another solid start.
“They’re definitely one of the largest factors to our success,” Lady Bulldogs coach Paula Dodge said. “I think they’ve done a great job of stepping up and handling the pressure. They’re competitors, and they want to win.”
The 6-footers give McHi a threat up front to compete against some of the taller teams in District 30-6A, including city rivals McAllen Memorial and McAllen Rowe. The two complement each other at the net — Pemelton with her defense; Monday delivering powerful hits.
Last year, Pemelton had one of the better blocking seasons in program history. This year, Monday’s coming up big as one of the featured hitters. It’s a big reason why the Lady Bulldogs (28-5, 4-1) are in a two-way tie for first place in district following Saturday’s road win over McAllen Memorial.
“When she gets in a groove, we really want to get her the ball,” Dodge said. “We’re fortunate to be able to move the ball around in our offense, especially with Julia. She really puts the ball down for us.”
Added Pemelton: “Her hitting has just been on fire. She was like this last year, but I don’t think she got to show it as much. This year, she’s really done an amazing job. She’s really consistent on her hits. She does her best to get the ball in. It’s just her technique. She knows what to do. She knows where to place the ball.”
By the same token, Pemelton is just as productive, trying to get a touch on every ball that crosses the net. On Saturday, she displayed some of her versatility by serving up an ace in the opening set, which gave McHi a one-game advantage. Then in Game 2, Pemelton iced it with a thundering spike.
“Sydney’s very strong, very athletic for her size and for her age,” Dodge said. “A lot of times, it takes the tall girls a little bit longer to mature and grow into that height. But she’s coming along well. … She’s got a tough serve to handle. And when she finds her rhythm, it’s really hard to counter.”
After last season, Monday took to heart Dodge’s to-do list: improve on defense, deliver quicker hits.
“And we have,” Monday said. “We’ve been getting so much better. There’s a lot more team chemistry there. There’s more team unity this year. All of our abilities have gotten better.”
Part of that is credited to offseason practices. The other part is due to their club ball, which, in essence, gave the duo an additional season to bond.
“Our friendship really helps,” Pemelton said. “I guess being able to know there’s someone you can rely on and know if you need help, they’re there to help you. It helps a lot.”