Lady rattlers complete district sweep of Lady Mustangs
On Tuesday night in McAllen, the Sharyland Lady Rattlers volleyball team dismantled the McAllen Memorial Lady Mustangs (21-9,5-4) in a three-set road sweep, winning by final scores of 25-15, 25-10, and 25-22. The Lady Rattlers are now in firm control of second place in the Valley’s toughest volleyball district, District 31-5A, after winning their 78th game in two years. Their 9-1 district record is second behind the McAllen Lady Bulldogs, the only team to beat them in district play. Their much-anticipated rematch tomorrow in Sharyland has RGV volleyball fans in a frenzy. Still, before they could turn the page and focus on that blockbuster meeting, they had to take care of business against last year’s Regional Semi-Finalists.
The Lady Rattlers blitzed the Lady Mustangs to open the first set. Led by their dynamic senior duo of Kassandra De La Garza and Kenisha Martinez, they suffocated the Lady Mustangs from start to finish. De La Garza and Martinez finished the game with 31 kills, 16 defensive digs, and 18 assists combined. The duo has combined for 546 kills, 577 defensive digs, and 509 assists this season alone. They are focused on repeating as district champs but are also proud of the milestones they’ve reached playing the sport they love.
“I’m really proud of everyone. I can tell they’ve been their sweat and tears into the court. In practice, it’s showing, too. I’m really proud of every single thing we’ve accomplished…being able to accomplish my personal goals, which I’m close to: 2,000 kills, 300 aces, and 1,600 digs. I’m excited for Kassandra, too,” Martinez, one of the Valley’s top hitters, said after Tuesday’s dominant win.
Battling alongside Martinez and De La Garza in integral support roles were sophomore outside hitter Pamela Pena and freshman Jayleen Berlanga, who should be in contention for district and Valley newcomer of the year. Pena finished the game with nine decisive kills on an impressive 57% kill rate, while Berlanga finished with a team-high 19 assists.
“Our dynamic duo, Kenny, Kassy…Pam and our freshman setter played what I thought was her best game today,” Lady Rattlers’ head coach Lydia Deleon said when asked to reflect on her team’s performance.
The Lady Rattlers ran away with set two after going on a 12-0 run to make the score 16-4 and force a Lady Mustang timeout. Impressive defensive plays, resilient rallies, and violent outside hitting allowed the Lady Rattlers to cruise to a 25-10 set two win.
“It feels amazing. That was a very clean sweep, and I’m glad that we’re finally finding our momentum again. We’re getting more comfortable with each other. I’m glad we’re starting off the second round strong,” De La Garza said when asked her initial thoughts after the win.
Although the Lady Mustangs were able to mount a serious resistance in set three in an attempt to extend the game, they had no answer for the Lady Rattlers’ speed and aggression. Despite climbing out of a 6-0 hole and tying the game at 17, 18, and 19, the Lady Rattlers slammed the door shut and finished the set the same way they started the game, with tenacity and violence.
“In the first two sets, I thought we came out very aggressive, defensively and offensively. That was something we had talked about. Just being aggressive… sometimes you get a little comfortable, which is what we did in the third set, but today we played like the team I know we can play like,” De Leon said when describing the mentality that powered her team to victory.
The Lady Rattler’s record now stands at (30-3, 9-1) ahead of tomorrow’s matchup and de-facto district championship with McAllen High, the arguable best team in the Valley. They are 2-1 against the Lady Bulldogs this season but 0-1 in district play after being swept on the road last month. If the Lady Rattlers defeat the Lady Bulldogs and win out, they could win at least a share of the district championship, which would be their third consecutive.
“We’re still not there, but we will be soon, hopefully. That’s what everyone wants, and everyone has been wanting to take it away from us for the past few years, but it’s not something me and Kassy are willing to let happen our senior years,” Martinez said when asked about the Lady Rattlers three-peat campaign.
Big 7 Volleyball Weekend Slate:
Tomorrow 10/05:
Mission Veterans Memorial (25-5, 9-0) vs Laredo Martin (12-15, 3-6)
La Joya Palmview (15-11, 6-2) @ La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (2-13, 1-6)
La Joya High (10-17, 0-2) vs Edinburg North (15-13, 2-0)
Sharyland Pioneer (23-6, 6-3) vs PSJA Memorial (1-13, 1-8)