Weaver adds All-Metro volleyball MVP to list of honors

Doesn’t it feel just like yesterday someone was giving Hayley Weaver a most valuable player award?

Well, that’s probably because it was.

Already RGVSports.com’s All-Valley MVP and the District 32-5A’s Setter of the Year, Weaver can add another award to the list, as she is The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro MVP.

“It’s a really good recognition,” Weaver said. “It’s cool to know that they’re going to watch as you grow and ex-cel.”

Weaver was perhaps the key reason why Los Fresnos went 36-3 and advanced all the way to the regional semi-finals in San Antonio for the first time in school history at the Class 5A level. She tallied 1,039 assists, 72 blocks, 217 digs, 67 kills and 36 aces. She changed positions. She led her team on and off the court.

Everything a senior needs to do. Everything an MVP needs to do.

“I’ve been playing club (volleyball) for six years so I’ve been working really hard,” Weaver said. “Knowing it’s going to be your last season, you want to go out there and do well.”

That’s exactly what Weaver did, leading Los Fresnos through the early-season tournaments, the making-it-easier-than-it-was district slate, and the memorable playoff run where the Lady Falcons went further than they, or anyone else, thought they’d go.

And she did most of it playing a different position — middle blocker. Which wound up, understandably, kind of being strange at first.

“A lot of pressure, more pressure than I thought,” Weaver said. “I kind of underestimated that position.”

But as we know by now, she got the hang of it, and off went Los Fresnos.

“Having to step up and take that position was hard,” Weaver said. “The whole team effort the past few years was (amazing).”

Another thing that stood out to Weaver, and not just this year, but over the past handful of years, has been the increasing popularity of volleyball in Los Fresnos. What the Lady Falcons did this season and have done under coach Becky Woods probably had a lot to do with it.

“It was very rewarding,” Weaver said. “There’s so many more girls involved now than there used to be.”

Many of those girls were on hand for the Lady Falcons’ games, along with what seemed like everyone else in the town. That noise, that encouragement. Boy did it help.

“I’m grateful for the support we have,” Weaver said. “And the coaches.

“It made it all worth it.”

Todd Orodenker covers sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via e-mail at torodenker@brownsvilleherald.com. Follow him on Twitter @ToddO243.

The Brownsville Herald’s 2011 All-Metro Volleyball Team

Most Valuable Player

Hayley Weaver, Los Fresnos

Offensive Player of the Year

Gloriana Villarreal, Los Fresnos

Newcomer of the Year

Debbie Lozano, Los Fresnos

Coach of the Year

Lisa Salazar, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

First team

(In alphabetical order)

Katherine Bowles, Port Isabel

Gabriela Gonzalez, Port Isabel

Priscilla Marquez, Brownsville Veterans

Ileah Ortiz, Los Fresnos

Sarah Ortiz, Hanna

Keila Rodriguez, Rivera

Second team

(In alphabetical order)

Samantha Diaz, Rivera

Erica Gomez, Rivera

Jania Guerra, Lopez

Andrea Montenegro, Pace

Ashley Ortega, Los Fresnos

Kellie Rodriguez, Brownsville Veterans