BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
Mission Veterans volleyball coach Diana Lerma is back with the Lady Patriots after missing two matches for undisclosed reasons, Mission CISD public relations director Craig Verley said Thursday.
“I have no comment,” Lerma said in a text message. “I am not allowed to comment on anything that is going on with me.”
Verley, Mission Veterans assistant coach Vivian Ray and Mission Veterans athletic coordinator David Gilpin also declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Lerma’s absence.
Lerma led the team to third place at the Laredo Tournament on Aug. 29, then picked up a 25-21, 25-23, 25-17 win Tuesday against Los Fresnos.
She missed the team’s next two matches: a 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 win Saturday at San Benito and a 23-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-15 win Tuesday on the road against Brownsville Hanna.
She is back with the team, and no further absences are forecast, Verley said.
STEPPING UP
As a setter last season, Evelyn Zarate’s biggest challenge was identifying where opponents had a single block. She could let Grulla’s hitters handle the rest.
But switching to hitter for her senior season, Zarate is taking on the responsibility of recognizing the holes in the defense and finding a way to get the ball to the floor.
“It’s a big transition, and it’s a big help,” Grulla coach Cita Jimenez said.
As a fourth-year varsity player working in a familiar system under a sixth-year coach, Zarate has had an easy time with the transition.
Jimenez describes the senior as a heavy hitter with a strong mind for the game. Zarate has also handled the defensive side of the shift well, making reliable passes in serve receive.
“Being that I’ve had her all four years, it was a little scary at first, but she’s taken it well and confidently,” Jimenez said. “We’ve seen the growth in her, and the maturity is there.”
Grulla has also leaned on libero Victoria Gonzalez and middle blocker Delma Ozuna, both returning starters. The Gators have five returners in the lineup — a big reason the team is 6-0 in non-district matches outside of tournaments.
The early success has Grulla’s hopes high heading into district play Saturday. The Gators are coming off of the first playoff appearance in school history last year.
“They want to continue making history here at Grulla,” Jimenez said. “Their goals and expectations are coming in as No. 1.”
IN THE MIDDLE
Although Edinburg Vela has nine juniors and two seniors on its roster, the first player outside hitter Jaida Muhammad mentions when asked about the SaberCats standouts is the lone sophomore: Bianca Cortez.
A significant piece in Vela’s rotation at middle blocker, Cortez has quickly established herself as a force at the net. Her success has played a large part in Vela’s 26-8 record heading into the district season this weekend.
“She is really doing a good job defensively for us,” coach Araceli Ortega said. “I think that’s been a great factor.”