Hitter of the Year: Andie Lozano-Lomeli, Brownsville Pace
Brownsville Pace finished runner-up in District 32-5A for the second consecutive year after not making the playoffs since 2015.
At the heart of the resurgence for the Vikings is the District 32-5A MVP and The Brownsville Herald Hitter of the Year Andie Lozano-Lomeli.
Lozano-Lomeli finished the season with 294 kills, averaging 4.3 kills per set with a 52% kill rate, most of the time being set by her sister, Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli.
“I think I was more dominant in the first half of the season,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “I am going to work on my skills for next year, but I am proud of the way I performed, and my team supporting me throughout.”
In a five-set victory of Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Lozano-Lomeli had 17 kills from the middle and is capable of that every night as she prepares to be one of the best returning hitters in 2023.
“She is the player on the team when it comes to finishing the game,” Brownsville Pace head coach Daya Venegas said. “She is our key player, not only in athletics, but everything. She is a great student-athlete.”
| Brownsville Pace’s Andie Lozano-Lomeli the All-Metro Hitter of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
Libero of the Year: Richelle Guerra, Brownsville Rivera
There is added pressure when you are the coach’s child.
Too many mistakes along with play time can be viewed as favoritism, but in the case of Brownsville Rivera’s Richelle Guerra, she deserves her place as the best libero in an area that has a wealth of talent at the position.
Guerra is the Libero of the Year for The Brownsville Herald.
“We are going to have a rough time next year filling her shoes,” Brownsville Rivera head coach, and mother to Guerra, Mary Avelar-Guerra said. “Volleyball starts with the pass. If you cannot get a good pass, you are not going to get a good set, so the hitters cannot produce. So, it is really important to have someone put the ball in a sport where you can be in system.”
The District 32-6A Libero of the Year racked up 747 digs, seven per set, and added 54 aces for the Raiders.
Guerra’s play has attracted the attention of universities. Texas Lutheran University in Seguin is interested in Guerra, but the libero has time to weigh her options as she reflects on a stellar career at Brownsville Rivera.
“All of my teammates are like family to me,” Guerra said. “They made this year amazing. We worked super hard together and we just had a great bond overall, that is something I am going to appreciate for the rest of my life.”
| Brownsville Rivera’s Richelle Guerra the All-Metro Libero of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
Setter of the Year: Jenna Rios, Los Fresnos
Los Fresnos junior Jenna Rios made the transition from a hitter to a setter when head coach Anissa Lucio took over before Rios’ sophomore season.
The move paid off. Rios has picked up back-to-back District 32-6A Co-Setter of the Year awards and is the All-Metro Setter of the Year.
“I was super hesitant to switch,” Rios said. “Setter seemed super stressful from a hitter’s perspective, but once I did. I was relieved, because I was not the best hitter, and I got more playing time.”
Los Fresnos boasted one of the best teams in the metro area.
Aided by libero Cory Reyes and the height of a plethora of outside and middle hitters, Rios, a captain, pulled the strings for the Falcons and is going to a key returner next season for Los Fresnos.
“They work with me when I have a bad set,” Rios said. “They do not get mad at me and are reassuring when I have a good one. It was really helpful to be around plenty of good players.”
Rios finished the season with 746 assists, 337 digs, 72 kills, 53 aces and 17 blocks for the Falcons.
| Los Fresnos’ Jenna Rios the All-Metro Setter of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
Utility Player of the Year: Emily Morales, Brownsville Rivera
Emily Morales should not have been on the list.
The senior figured her volleyball days were over as fast as they had begun when becoming pregnant as a freshman.
With support from her family and team, Morales defied the expectations of a teenage mom to become one of the best all-around players in the metro area.
Morales is The Brownsville Herald’s Utility Player of the Year.
“I literally put my heart into this sport,” Morales said. “I really wanted to come back strong. It gave me the drive to be kind of a utility player, I wanted coach to be able to depend on me for that game point, that dig … it was tough, but I can say that I am proud with the season.”
Morales had many sequences where she pulled off unlikely digs only to jump back up to be set up for a kill, where the senior would jump out of the gym for a kill.
Morales finished with 400 kills, 230 digs and 10 aces, on a Brownsville Rivera team featuring stud libero Richelle Guerra and young faces. Morales played out of her mind for the Raiders in their capture of the BISD Tournament championship.
“She works really hard,” Brownsville Rivera head coach Mary Avelar-Guerra said. “She was always in the weight room, I would tell my daughter, Richelle, ‘Work out with her, she will push you.’ She did, she worked hard and pushed everybody.”
| Brownsville Rivera’s Emily Morales the All-Metro Utility Player of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
Newcomer of the Year: Xandria Johnson, Brownsville Rivera
Although Brownsville Rivera won the BISD championship this season, it will be hard to say they were the best in the metro area because of losing both games to the well-rounded Los Fresnos Falcons.
The Raiders were young in 2022, besides standouts Richelle Guerra and Emily Morales, and they lost matches against teams with more experience at times and won some like the BISD championship and a win at Harlingen High, the District 32-6A champs.
Freshman Xandria Johnson helped step up for the Raiders, picking up 127 kills and 37 blocks. Johnson was honored with District 32-6A Newcomer of the Year honors for the season.
Johnson is The Brownsville Herald’s Newcomer of the Year.
“I think she is going to be very important, she did really good this year,” Brownsville Rivera head coach Mary Avelar-Guerra said. “When we had our summer workouts, she was tall, a little bit uncoordinated, her technique was not there, but she worked really hard to get better and better.”
Johnson was nervous the first time she stepped on the court, but the nerves faded and she became a solid player for the Raiders as the season continued.
“Honestly, this summer I did not think I would be here,” Johnson said. “I just had to work hard for it.”
| Brownsville Rivera’s Xandria Johnson the All-Metro Newcomer of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
Sub-5A MVP: Carmina Tijerina, Brownsville St. Joseph
Brownsville St. Joseph sophomore Carmina Tijerina does it all on the court for the Bloodhounds.
Labelled the backbone of the team by head coach Dolores Olguin-Trevino, Tijerina was instrumental in the Bloodhounds fourth place finish in district. Tijerina finished the season with 312 kills, 234 digs and 104 aces for the Bloodhounds.
Tijerina is the All-Metro Sub-5A Most Valuable Player.
“She can do everything,” Olguin-Trevino said. “She plays, defense, offense, and is one of our best servers. If our server gets the first ball, she sets the second ball.”
Tijerina, the All-Metro Newcomer of the Year last season has grown a lot and has been a leader this season, Olguin-Trevino said.
“I am one of the players that really needs to motivate people,” the sophomore said. “We had a lot of freshmen this year, they needed a lot of motivation and people to look after them.”
The sister of Regina Tijerina, a libero for UTRGV, the Tijerina family loves the sport, Carmina Tijerina said.
“I just love playing volleyball,” Tijerina said.
| Brownsville St. Joseph’s Carmina Tijerina the Sub-5A MVP Miguel Roberts |
Coach of the Year: Sherry Hoskins, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Brownsville Veterans Memorial Sherry Hoskins inherited a district championship team, an undefeated champion at that.
Despite the stellar team, Hoskins was able to take the Chargers to another level and was awarded the District 32-5A Coach of the Year as well as the Coach of the Year for The Brownsville Herald.
Hoskins spent time coaching in San Antonio before taking four years off from coaching the sport. Hoskins said she only watched collegiate volleyball during that time and was new to the game in the Valley.
Edcouch-Elsa’s five-set win over Sharyland High in 2019 was the last time a District 32-5A team defeated a District 31-5A team in the playoffs.
Until this year, of course.
Brownsville Veterans picked up a bi-district victory over McAllen Rowe, the first playoff victory for the school since 2018.
Hoskins said this year’s team worked hard for their silverware and will help leave a legacy to build upon.
“Overall, I was honored to take over this position,” Hoskins said. “I am grateful with the girls that are coming in next year, because we have the same type of talent, athleticism, eagerness and drive to want to push through for the next year.”
| Brownsville Veterans Memorial head coach Sherry Hoskins the All-Metro Coach of the Year. Miguel Roberts |
First Team
Cory Reyes, Los Fresnos; Shiloh Jones, Los Fresnos; Andrea Chapa, Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Montserrat De Los Santos, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Kayla Aguilar, Brownsville Lopez; Luz Martinez, Brownsville Pace; Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli, Brownsville Pace; Melanie Ortiz, Brownsville Porter; Melanni Garza, Brownsville Rivera; Layni Mata, Port Isabel
Second Team
Dakota Martinez, Los Fresnos; Addyson Vega, Los Fresnos; Bryanna Narvaez, Brownsville Pace; Kassandra Garcia, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Tamar Lane, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Carolina Mendez, Brownsville Hanna, Kassandra Aguirre, Brownsville Lopez; Barbie Moreno, Brownsville Jubilee; Andrea Jasso, Brownsville St. Joseph, Liangales Quintana, Brownsville Harmony