MCALLEN — Shiela Zamora and Gaby Estringel had the toughest job in the gym Tuesday night.
Today, they’re probably getting a promotion for a job well done.
The two McAllen High hitters/blockers did what they were tasked to do against an army of next-level smashers and helped lead their Bulldogs to a stunning upset over city rival McAllen Memorial in five-set 2.5-plus hour mega-match 27-25, 14-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13.
Memorial won the first matchup this season in four sets and Tuesday’s matchup was similar to the old fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. Smooth and steady won the race, again.
The win improves McHi to 8-4 in district, tied with McAllen Rowe for the fourth – and final – postseason berth. McAllen Memorial falls to 10-2, two games behind unbeaten Sharyland High. Those Sharyland Pioneer is 9-3 and in third place in the district. McHi plays Pioneer on Saturday while Memorial travels to Sharyland High.
Zamora, a senior middle, tallied seven kills and five blocks. She and Estringel also put their hands on several attacks, giving their sure-and-steady defense plenty of chances to extend rallies.
Estringel, a freshman, blasted 15 kills, tied for the team lead with junior Katherine Williamson. Estringel’s performance was a glance into what the future may look like for the powerful lefty.
“Experiences like tonight are when players grow up the most,” second-year head coach Michael Smith said. “It’s great to get the win but she’s a player who works had and was ready and her teammates were able to get her in great positions.
“They (Shiela and Gabby) knew they had to get out there and get even the smallest touch on as many balls as possible on Amare (Hernandez) to help our defense. She’s the best hitter in the Valley and she came out to play and washitting some hammers to the floor.”
In a sport defined by kills and power blocks, defense on Tuesday may have been the biggest difference between the teams. Memorial went through several streaks, described as hiccups by head coach Ashley Doffing since the beginning of the season, where the Mustangs couldn’t seem to find accuracy in their passing to get the offense rolling. They struggled often times to get their hitters set up. They also watched several balls hit the line, or well inside the line, they thought were heading out. Those unforced errors kept a less powerful, but much more consistent, McHi squad in the match.
When the Memorial offense was in sync, however, Hernandez was her dominant self. She finished with a match high 23 kills and three blocks. Teammate Madisyn Sosa added 13 kills and four aces with her laser-like topspin jump serve.
The Mustangs finished the match with 64 kills compared to 50 for McHi. Those numbers could’ve been a lot different if not for the Estringel and Zamora’s performance up front and a slew of defenders behind that first line.
“We had practice yesterday and it felt a lot like today,” Zamora said. “I knew what my job was and knew I had to get it done. I did what was asked of me and gave it all I had.
“We were a little caught off guard with their middle attack but we made some adjustments. This was my last Memorial game so it was great to win this one.”
While the McHi defense deservedly kept their focus on Hernandez, Sosa and the rest of Memorial’s outside arsenal, it was middle Alicia Ziegler and Kaitlyn Martin that made a huge impact especially early on, putting away quick sets with kills or tips to open spaces. McHi’s defense in those cases was a half-step behind.
“It was definitely something we had to adjust to,” Smith said. “We know what they have from the outside but they have two really good middles. Once Alicia and Kaitlyn got going we had to adjust.
“We have a lot of players who are really good at picking up balls and we are an extremely deep defensive team so we try to make them do some different things and make the most of it. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls tonight.”