The Harlingen South Lady Hawks did themselves a big favor in the 32-6A race by reviving their chances for a playoff spot.
Instead of dropping to 0-4 in 32-6A, the Lady Hawks on Saturday pulled out a remarkable 21-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13 triumph against “Bird Bowl” rival Harlingen High on South’s court. The Lady Hawks trailed 2-0 and 13-9 in the deciding fifth set before rallying to win.
In the six-team 32-6A race, Los Fresnos is 4-0, Hanna is 3-1, San Benito is 2-2, and South is now 1-3 along with Rivera and Harlingen High. Dropping to 0-4 with a loss at home against the Lady Cardinals would have made things pretty difficult for the Lady Hawks to reach the postseason, but now they’re right back in the mix.
“Yes, it was a great win for us, and something we definitely needed at this point in the season,” second-year South coach Anissa Lucio said. “But we know we still have some work to do to prepare for this tough district.
“This win does help us push forward, and it strengthens our confidence and belief in our talent,” Lucio added.
Against Harlingen High, South’s Mikela Mireles recorded 33 kills and 27 digs. Also for South, Mya Aguirre had 18 kills, 29 digs and 15 assists, and Dolores Mendoza added 38 assists and 34 digs. Evelyn Yanez, Zoe Garcia and Allyah Guevara contributed 55, 18 and 12 digs, respectively.
The Lady Hawks complete the first round of 32-6A action at 6:30 p.m. today by playing at Hanna.
NO EASY MATCHES
With its parity, no one team can become all that comfortable in the 32-6A race, not even the Los Fresnos Lady Falcons, who took over sole possession of the district lead Saturday with a 4-0 record, thanks to a 22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-23 victory at home against Hanna.
“That win does a lot for our team, tons really,” Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. “Now we have to go into San Benito (today), and San Benito beat us (in five games) in a non-district match (on Sept. 15).
“We have to play hard against them and play our game,” Woods added. “This is a very close district. Everyone can beat everyone. We just need to stay focused and take things one match at a time. That’s what we need to do, because at any time, anyone can sneak up on you and beat you.
“We went down 1-0 (against Hanna) and we came back and won three straight games. That says a lot about the composure our girls have. I’m happy with the (Hanna) win, and I’m happy with the girls.”
While Los Fresnos is playing at 6:30 p.m. today at San Benito and South is at Hanna, the other scheduled 32-6A match at 6:30 p.m. today has Rivera at Harlingen High.
“I honestly don’t think this (Hanna) win really solidifies anything for us (playoff-wise) because this district is just so tough (and there are so many more matches to play),” said Sandra Salazar, a senior outside hitter for the Lady Falcons. “Any match can go any way. It’s all a matter of who wants it more, so every time we play, we just have to keep our intensity up. I’m just really proud of my team.”
32-5A UPDATE
Edcouch-Elsa remains the sole leader in the District 32-5A race with a 7-0 record. Donna High is 6-1 and Brownsville Veterans Memorial is 5-2. Lopez is 4-3, Porter is 3-4 and Mercedes is 2-5. Also, Pace is 1-6 and Valley View is 0-7.
Brownsville Veterans almost created a three-way tie for first place Saturday but ultimately lost 20-25, 25-13, 16-25, 26-24, 15-13 at home to E-E.
The second round of district begins at 7 p.m. today with Pace at Brownsville Veterans, Donna High at Porter, Lopez at E-E and Mercedes at Valley View.
32-4A UPDATE
Hidalgo is still atop the District 32-4A standings. The Lady Pirates face a key test Saturday at La Feria.
The district completed its first round of competition last Tuesday. A little more than halfway through the 32-4A race, it’s Hidalgo 8-0, La Feria 7-1, Zapata 6-2, Grulla 3-5, Rio Hondo 3-5, Port Isabel 2-6, Raymondville 2-6 and Progreso 1-7.
Today’s 32-4A matches at 6:30 p.m. have La Feria at Port Isabel, Raymondville at Grulla, Zapata at Rio Hondo and Hidalgo vs. Progreso.
