HARLINGEN — Harlingen South is on a roll.
The Hawks have won seven straight District 32-5A matches after a 25-17, 25-22, 16-25, 25-20 victory over Brownsville Veterans Memorial on Tuesday night in Harlingen.
The Hawks have not lost since Sep. 2 and now have a solid hold on second in the district. Harlingen South is 9-1 in District 32-5A after not making the playoffs in 2022.
“I think it is a total 180 from where we were last year,” Harlingen South head coach Doryann Perez said. “I think it is a great place to be in, but it is one of those where we got to make sure we have our 10 toes down and we are focused, taking it day by day.”
Perez said picking up the win was doable Tuesday night but that it was going to be a fight and a good match. It was at times, but Harlingen South was the better team on the night and in district after picking up the district sweep over the Chargers.
Harlingen South’s Malloree Mireles and her strong left-handed shot was as lethal as always, slamming a kill to win the first set. Kamryn Castillo found her hitters with ease and caught out the Chargers multiple times with fake sets that found the space between the lines, and Ella Ramirez and Raenna Lopez put in dominant performances at the net.
“They were aggressive,” Perez said of Ramirez and Lopez. “Ella is a strong middle, and Raenna is one of our stronger outsides. I think they execute, they are strong and they played an important role in getting us this win tonight, as well as everyone else. But they are definitely responsible for keeping us steady.”
If it was not Mireles being set up for kills, it was Ramirez and Lopez picking up points with kills of their own and blocks to help the Hawks pick up the win.
“I think we came out and did what we needed to do,” Lopez said. “We were preparing for this all week. We came out and showed out.”
Harlingen South had won 20 straight sets in district before dropping the third set Tuesday night.
“We are taking it day by day,” Perez reiterated.
Brownsville Veterans’ hitter Montserrat De Los Santos was pivotal for the Chargers in their lone set win. Makayla Lerma won the set for the Chargers with a kill.
Brownsville Veterans are now 6-4 in District 32-5A and tied with Brownsville Lopez, Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes after Tuesday night.
Harlingen South faces another potential playoff team in District 32-5A when it meets Mercedes at noon Saturday in Mercedes. Brownsville Veterans faces Brownsville Porter at noon Saturday at home.
