By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
LOS FRESNOS — The revenge tour kept on rolling for the Brownsville Rivera Lady Raiders on Tuesday.
Rivera (8-2 in district) earned a 25-14, 25-18, 26-24 sweep over the Lady Falcons (8-2) on the road, avenging a home sweep it suffered during the first round. The Lady Raiders have now defeated both teams they lost to in the opening round, making the district championship and seeding race much more interesting.
The Lady Raiders used stellar defense and smart offense to clinch the win. Rivera’s hitters made great decisions at the net, hitting and tipping around the big Los Fresnos block, making it a non-factor for most of the match.
“It feels wonderful. I’m so excited for them. They played awesome tonight,” Rivera coach Liz Avelar-Guerra said. “They started on fire. I don’t think I’ve seen them start with this much fire before. I love that they’re coming together as a team really good. They’re really blossoming right now, and it showed tonight.”
Rivera got off to a hot start during the opening set, which was tight to a 10-10 tie before the Lady Raiders opened up things. Emily Morales, Kimberly Chavez, Alondra Garza and Naylah Trevino were solid at the net, dropping hits and tips around Los Fresnos’ block and recording blocks of their own.
The Lady Raiders’ defense covered the court like a blanket, getting under everything the Lady Falcons sent over. Libero Richelle Guerra and defensive specialists Darlyng Longoria and Ashlyn Tapia hustled and passed well to keep Rivera in system and able to shut down Los Fresnos’ offense.
“It feels incredible. We told ourselves we would give everything we got to win this game. We wanted it so bad and to get payback,” Guerra said. “I felt pretty confident in our girls today. Our team was on fire, and I’m so proud. I definitely feel that all our hard work is showing and paying off right now.”
Los Fresnos didn’t attack well during the opening set, and the hitting woes continued in the second. Three attack errors by the Lady Falcons helped Rivera go up 5-0 before Savannah Smith and Shiloh Jones combined for a block to end the scoring run.
Rivera outside hitter Kenya Ibarra sliced kills around the block and contributed from the back row with her heavy swing to help her team extend the lead to eight points. Los Fresnos was sending over free balls and tips too often instead of showcasing its powerful hitters, and Rivera’s back row took advantage with efficient passing. Chavez and Morales came up big to clinch the second set.
The Lady Falcons showed fight late in sets, killing off three set points in the first and trimming the deficit to three points in the second. Smith and every-rotation player Olivia Parra were solid in both scoring runs.
“We’re a young team that hasn’t really been on this platform before, so the more we’re here, we’ll learn. We wanted them to fight for every point, and I was proud they did that,” Los Fresnos coach Anissa Lucio said. “(Smith is) a sophomore and she’s coming into her own, and seeing her play with more confidence is great for us.”
Trailing 2-0 in the match, Los Fresnos played its best volleyball of the night during the third set. Lucio made a lineup change, switching to a 6-2 system and using Jennica Leal as a second setter when the starter, Jenna Rios, rotated to the front row.
The move paid dividends as Rios notched kills and contributed on the block in the third. A block from Jones, a kill from Parra and an ace from Rios helped Los Fresnos open an 11-7 lead and force a Rivera timeout.
“I was proud of our effort in that third set,” Lucio said. “We made a couple changes, and it helped. Offensively, we wanted to try some different things, and it worked out well. I think that was good for us to see.
“We just have to control ourselves better. One play here or there would’ve made a difference, but I was proud of their effort.”
Rivera cut the lead to two points behind Ibarra and Garza, but the Lady Falcons opened up things again, going up 22-16 as Smith dominated at the net and libero Caydence Castillo anchored a solid defensive effort.
An ace from Longoria, who served tough all night, and kills from Morales got Rivera right back in it. Three straight points off Ibarra’s powerful swing and a nicely placed second-touch tip from setter Clarissa Olivares killed off a set point and sealed the victory for the Lady Raiders.
“They were telling each other, ‘We’ve been here before. Let’s keep fighting.’ It shows a lot of heart and a lot of spirit for them to keep fighting,” Avelar-Guerra said. “They were behind, and they just kept pushing. They never rolled over. I’m so proud of the way they fought back.”