GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — PSJA Memorial junior Deserey Gomez faced a tough adjustment this season, sliding from outside hitter to setter. Being new to the position, Gomez said she wasn’t always comfortable.
Thankfully for Deserey, her sister Kristi has been a security blanket. A junior who last season cracked The Monitor’s All-Area First Team, Kristi can generate kills off anything Deserey serves up.
“I like setting Kristi, because there are times that although I’m not 100 percent on setting, whenever I set her wrong, she adjusts quick,” Deserey said. “That makes me feel better.”
On Tuesday against Edinburg North, PSJA Memorial put that formula to work again and again.
Kristi pounded home kill after kill on an array of sets from Deserey and fellow setter Valerie Guajardo, lifting PSJA Memorial to a 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22 win at Edinburg North.
The Lady Wolverines moved to 25-7 and 4-2 in District 31-6A, while the Lady Cougars fell to 8-21 overall and 2-4 in district play.
“Kristi did a great job,” PSJA Memorial coach Angie Gonzales said. “She pulled through for us on a lot of big plays, and she was able to place the ball. She’s very strategic and very smart, so I have to give her credit for that.”
Kristi finished with 18 kills, 5 digs, 3 blocks and 2 aces, but Gonzales said Tuesday wasn’t her best game. Such are the standards Kristi set for herself after earning District 31-6A co-MVP last season.
Gonzales said Kristi has shown daily improvement, becoming quicker on defense and more aggressive in her serving. Kristi has also developed physically, adding to her vertical leap.
“I grew 2 centimeters, so that’s something,” Kristi said. “I think I’m more aggressive. And on my hits, I have more control.”
Kristi and Deserey share a close bond on the court after training together for years. Deserey said practice and coaching this season have allowed her to start feeling more comfortable setting in a full-team environment.
“My sister and I, we always have good communication,” Deserey said. “We’re already used to it. I know how she wants her ball, I know what she wants and what she doesn’t. That helps us a lot.”
Gonzales said their relationship is great to watch, but also scary at times. Because Kristi and Deserey hold each other to such high standards, they aren’t afraid to raise their voices on the court, if needed.
“Sometimes, their teammates get real scared. ‘Why are they yelling at each other?’” Gonzales said. “But they’re sisters, also. So they are in sync.”
Gonzales said their relationship pushes the rest of the team to come together and be a part of that sisterhood.
One of Kristi’s other focuses this season has been the mental side of the game, attacking from different parts of the court and doing more than just hitting middle.
On Tuesday, that was especially key for PSJA Memorial. The Lady Cougars showed a defense that was consistently picking up all of the Lady Wolverines’ hits, so Gonzales told her team to attack with more control and finesse.
“Sometimes, you have to play smart,” Kristi said. “It’s not always playing aggressive. We have to use our heads, too.”
After PSJA Memorial won the first two games, Edinburg North jumped out 10-5 in the third and later used a 6-0 run to build a 16-9 lead. Kristi had at least 6 kills and 2 aces in the set to help Memorial pull even at 23-23, but Edinburg North took the last two points.
In the fourth, Memorial jumped out 10-1, but North had tied it up by 20-20. The teams were also tied at 22 before Memorial scored the final three points to end the match.
For Edinburg North, Itzamar Rios had 9 kills, 12 digs and 5 blocks, while Naila Garcia racked up 11 assists and 14 digs and Amanda Cavazos chipped in 8 assists and 11 digs.
Deserey led PSJA Memorial with 22 assists to go along with 8 digs and 2 blocks. Fellow setter Guajardo had 12 assists.
“We had to start looking for holes,” Gonzales said. “And when we did find the holes, they were there.”