By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
PHARR — Before her team could become too predictable, PSJA Memorial’s Angie Gonzales called for changes throughout her lineup. She moved Victoria Maldonado from libero to setter, and switched setters Deserey Gomez and Valerie Guajardo outside hitters.
The Lady Wolverines have not only continued to win, but their defense has also seen improvement, as evidenced by their latest victory, a 25-15, 25-19, 25-19 sweep of PSJA North on Tuesday.
Kristi Gomez led the way with 22 kills, five digs, two aces and one block. Guajardo had three kills, two digs, one ace and eight assists. And Maldonado picked up 25 assists and five digs as PSJA Memorial (27-7, 6-2 in district) won it second straight game since adjusting their rotations.
“We just wanted to shake things up and throw people off because sometimes people expect things from certain players,” Gonzales said. “So we want to be unpredictable. … It also helps to move key players around who could do good in other positions and give players rest.”
For Maldonado, that meant utilizing her speed to set up teammates for kills. Players like Guajardo, who has played a multitude of roles this season, have reaped the benefits. Even though they’ve spent a relatively short time together in the setter-hitter role, they appeared in sync throughout the night Tuesday, especially in Game 3, when they turned a 16-9 lead to a 20-10 advantage.
“We practice our lineups and make sure it works, and it did,” Maldonado said. “We’ve been liking it. Honestly, it just clicks. All the passes, I get under them. I set them up and they bring it down. Kristi, I know I could trust her with it.”
Though the team returned 11 players, PSJA Memorial has tinkered with rotations, especially with four new players in the mix. After graduating its setter, Gonzales auditioned a few players for that role, which she describes as “the quarterback of the team.”
PSJA Memorial found that with their previous lineups, but plugging in Maldonado has given the team a spark, given her speed and agility.
Regardless, Gonzales said, every player is expected to be able to fill any position. Never has that been more apparent than the last two matches, since the Lady Wolverines have altered their attack. They went the distance Saturday, beating PSJA High 16-14 in Game 5, and they pounced on PSJA North early on Tuesday.
“I love this lineup better because there’s a lot of hitters and a setter running around,” Guajardo said. “(Maldonado) is really fast. She won’t give up for any ball. She dives everywhere. Every time, we’re just becoming more fearless, more aggressive. We’re not giving up.”
The Lady Wolverines are again on pace for another playoff berth, trailing only Edinburg Vela and Edinburg High for the district lead
PSJA North (21-13 overall), which dropped to 2-6 in district, was led by Carla Muro (nine kills, two blocks) and Stephanie Crispin (eight kills, two aces). Ashley Garza contributed five kills and one block. Melissa Palacios added 13 digs. And Samantha Enriquez posted 25 assists.