HARLINGEN — It was a matchup of two of the hottest teams in the Valley and the price of admission was worth paying.
McAllen High won the first two sets of the match, imposing its will with an aggressive approach.
But after falling behind, Harlingen rallied to win the next three sets to stun McHi, 25-15, 25-11, 25-18, 25-23, 15-11 Saturday afternoon at the Lady Cardinals gym.
The Lady Cards settled down and found their footing in the final three sets. Senior Yazmine Martinez guided the Lady Cards’ attack with 20 kills.
“We came out intimidated. I told the girls just because they won the first set, doesn’t mean it’s all over,” said Harlingen coach Joslynn Torres. “That’s the beautiful thing about volleyball, they give you a chance to win three out of five. I told my seniors before the third set that this will be the last time they play McHi on their home floor. It’s a privilege to play them. They’re a big school and they are always in the playoffs, so I challenged them to prove themselves.”
The Lady Cards turned the momentum in the third set by taking a 14-13 lead and did not look back, winning the set 25-18.
Over the course of the next two sets, the ball rolled Harlingen’s way and the Lady Cards looked like a fresh, calm and collected bunch.
Julissa Munivez kept the offensive attack going with a team-high 26 digs. Meanwhile, Kristen Kattan followed with 16 kills. Both Alina Prado and Ashlyn Suarez fed the hitters with a combined 36 assists. Prado finished with 22 and Suarez with 14.
“In Game 3 all the fundamentals we do in practice paid off. They did everything to a T,” said Torres. “After Game 3 we rode our momentum into the next two sets. Coming back like this says a lot about the kids’ character. They never gave up against one of the top teams in the Valley. They key was us getting off to a strong start and that’s what they needed heading into the final sets.”
After taking the third and fourth sets, Harlingen got off to a quick 5-0 lead in the fifth, but McHi answered back tying the score at five. But it was the Lady Red Birds who finished with the final run, sealing a 15-11 fifth set win.
In what could be a playoff matchup sometime down the line, Saturday’s atmosphere most certainty felt like a playoff game.
“We realized we needed to relax and play the game that got us here,” said Martinez. “We just got back to playing our style. At first, we were a little intimidated. They’re (McHi) a very good team, they just won the San Antonio tournament and came in ready to play. Coach (Torres) believed in us throughout the match and after the first two sets she told us we have three sets left. This is the craziest game I’ve been a part of. I’m excited to have been a part of it.”
Harlingen (13-4) has now passed their non-district test with wins over Los Fresnos, Edcouch-Elsa and now McHi. The grueling non-district schedule has been a measuring stick for what’s to come in a competitive District 32-6A.
“I told the girls that today was the biggest test for us,” said Torres. “We knew McHi was going to show up and play and it was a matter if we were going to show up and rise to the occasion. Our girls never quit and rose to that challenge.”
