SAN BENITO — The long, hot days of June and July can be brutal, but with the summer comes offseason workouts and summer volleyball leagues.
The San Benito Summer Volleyball League has been hosting 16 teams from across the Valley with each team playing two games a day twice a week.
Six teams are out of Class 6A, three are from 5A, three are from 4A, two from 2A and one team each from 3A and TAAPS.
“It’s been a great summer so far, but it’s also been very hectic,” said incoming Harlingen High senior Taegan Dickey. “With volleyball three days out of the week, and then I also play basketball, too, and tournaments on the weekend, so it’s been crazy so far.”
Dickey is a two-sport athlete that suits up for volleyball in the fall and basketball in the winter. She is also a key starter returning to the Lady Cards’ lineup this upcoming season along with Alina Prado, Desiree Sanchez and Kirsten Kattan.
The Lady Cards are poised to be in the District 32-6A title race and have the pieces in play to make a run. And all that work begins in the offseason.
“We’re continuing to work hard over the offseason,” Dickey said. “We want to make a run (at the league title) this year. We have some tough teams in our district; we pay attention then we don’t because, yes they’re in our district, but nothing is set in stone just yet. We’re not sure who will be on the varsity come the fall.”
As for the Lyford Lady Bulldogs, the uphill climb will be a tough one with just two returning starters from last season in Jerrica Rojas and Sarah Martinez.
The Lady Dogs are the lone 3A team competing in the summer league, and are competing against some of the tougher teams in the Valley.
There are six teams from 6A level including Harlingen, Harlingen South and San Benito that the Lady Dogs will face.
“We’re taking in a lot of practice with this summer league,” Martinez said. “We have a new team and a lot of new faces so I’m trying my best to guide the younger girls, and show them the rotations and getting them up to speed with the varsity level. Playing the big schools will help us because it prepares us for the season and we plan to take what we learn here in the summer league and use it in the regular season.”
