BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN – This year’s three-day, 24-team Poundfest Tournament extravaganza culminated in the way it usually does: a battle between two McAllen schools in the Gold Bracket championship game.
McAllen High and McAllen Rowe didn’t disappoint the mostly Bulldogs friendly crowd inside McHi’s gymnasium, going the three set maximum allowed in the tournament before Rowe (10-1) emerged victorious 25-17, 21-25, 15-13 on Saturday afternoon.
“What an amazing feeling,” McAllen Rowe coach Magda Canales said. “I’m very proud of our girls. We finally came together. I know it’s early in the season, but we were working on some new things in our offense and defense. It’s rewarding to see the girls putting those on display.”
McHi (9-1) had to go through PSJA Memorial 25-19, 25-15 and Laredo Alexander 23-25, 25-16, 15-13 en route to the title match. Rowe’s road to the championship included a win over Brownsville Veterans 25-16, 18-25, 15-11 and a victory over crosstown rival McAllen Memorial 25-22, 25-13.
Against McHi, Rowe jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and stretched that advantage to eight before winning the first set.
“We saw their faces, and we knew we could go at them,” Rowe middle blocker Victoria Galindo said. “I think our game rattled them enough to put us over the top.”
McHi coach Paula Dodge noticed a few things that led to the Bulldogs’ slow start.
“Our passing at the beginning of that first game was terrible,” Dodge said. “We were shanking the ball everywhere. If you can’t get the ball to the setter, you’re not going to be able to run your offense. That was the big thing for us.”
McHi’s fortunes changed in the second set, as the Bulldogs opened up their own eight=point advantage on set point. Rowe chipped the lead down to 24-21, but ultimately dropped the set, leading to a winner-take-all third set.
Rowe and McHi traded several two-point spurts in the final set until Rowe took an 8-6 advantage.
“We really kept our composure,” Rowe outside hitter and Poundfest Tournament MVP Jackelyn Alanis said. “I would keep telling the girls, ‘It’s OK. We’re fine. Just keep fighting.’”
“Both groups really went at each other. Nobody went on any runs,” Canales said. “It was a matter of who was going to make plays and execute in the end.”
McHi kept things close, but Rowe took its two-point lead across the finish line and won the 2017 Poundfest Tournament championship.
“All of our hard work together and communication paid off this weekend,” Alanis said. “Even though we won today, we still have to keep working, because once district starts, they [McHi] are going to come back and try to get us.”
The magnitude of Saturday’s victory, Canales believes, will do wonders for Rowe’s confidence going forward.
“This win will help them trust each other more,” Canales said. “The offense knows that if they go out there swinging, their defense is going to back them up. They believe in themselves now. If they continue to pull together, the outcome will be to their advantage.”