Only three Valley teams remain in volleyball playoffs

Edinburg High, Harlingen South and Mission High remain the only surviving Rio Grande Valley teams in the state playoffs.

Two - the Lady Bobcats and Lady Eagles - are discovering new heights while South is an annual fixture this late in the playoffs among deep South Texas teams. But no matter their differing histories or paths they took to arrive at this point in the season, the teams are attempting to make it three Valley squads in the regional semis for the second consecutive year.

Last season, Sharyland, South and Mission Veterans Memorial were the last three teams standing.

"At this time of the year, I want everyone from the Valley to win," Lady Bobcats coach Deanna Dominguez said. "I was really happy to hear that Harlingen South beat Laredo Alexander (in the area round)."

Dominguez's team, which takes on San Antonio Southwest tonight in Corpus Christi, will look to advance to the Region IV tournament for the first time in school history. The Lady Bobcats could actually be the first Edinburg CISD volleyball squad to reach the Sweet 16.

"I think this is not only important for us but for the entire city," said Dominguez, whose scored an upset over the Valley's top squad, McAllen High, last week.

Before Dominguez took over the program seven years ago, there was not much to celebrate. The Lady Bobcats, however, continue to inch their way into the Valley elite.

"They hadn't made the playoffs I don't know how long," Dominguez said. "(Beating McAllen High in the playoffs) was a really big step for us."

Similar to Edinburg, Mission High pulled off an upset of Corpus Christi Moody in the Class 4A area round on Saturday.

Mission High battles Castroville Medina Valley in Kingsville in a Class 4A regional quarterfinal and hopes to find its way to the regionals semis for the first time in school history.

The Lady Eagles' run is somewhat surprising considering they finished third in District 32-4A and had a daunting Moody team in its path.

"I think we are just peaking at the right time," Lady Eagles coach Lety Ibarra said. "I don't know what it is. Our kids don't do the club thing. It seems like the more playing time we get, the better the team plays."

Of course, Harlingen South can almost always be counted on as being one of the last teams standing in the Valley. The Lady Hawks travel to Laredo tonight for a date with Eagle Pass.

Since losing to Edinburg High during the first round of District 31-5A play, the Lady Hawks have surged, winning 10 in a row.

"This team has just mentally toughened up," Hawks coach Steven Lunsford said. "I was looking at their mental toughness during the first three weeks and wasn't sure it was there. They have really gotten mentally tough."

Tradition only helps. Lunsford, who took a Lady Hawks team the Class 4A final four in 2003, said every year his teams want to be the next great South team.

"They know what they are aiming for," Lunsford said.

Peter Rasmussen covers high school volleyball for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.