Lady Falcons enjoying regional semifinal season

For the Los Fresnos volleyball team, the journey to the Region IV-5A Tournament began long before the 2011 season started.

With a 25-21. 25-22, 25-22 sweep of Harlingen South in Tuesday's regional quarterfinals, the Lady Falcons qualified for the Region IV-5A Tournament at St. Mary's University in San Antonio for the first time as a Class 5A school.

"Our girls have worked hard all year," Los Fresnos coach Becky Woods said. "They've wanted to go to San Antonio all along, and now, we're going. These girls have a strong desire to compete and win. It's evident by the way we've battled back to win our matches."

Los Fresnos (36-2), the No. 1 team in the Rio Grande Valley, will face San Antonio Johnson (42-6), the top-ranked team in the San Antonio area, in the tournament semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. The Los Fresnos-Johnson winner faces either Laredo Alexander (35-3) or San Antonio Reagan (35-13) in the Region IV-5A final on Saturday with a berth in the state tournament on the line.

The four-time District 32-5A champion Lady Falcons have had teams the past two seasons that many felt were capable of advancing to San Antonio. But Los Fresnos was eliminated in the third round of the playoffs in 2009 and couldn't get past the second round one year ago.

Why, then, has this year's team enjoyed such a breakthrough?

As is the case with all successful teams, the members of this year's Los Fresnos squad, both the experienced and previously inexperienced varsity players, have blended together very well. And while the Lady Falcons had taller teams the past two seasons, the current squad is perhaps composed of more all-around players who can be a force at the net while playing the back row with equal skill.

Particularly in the playoffs, opposing hitters often have unleashed what would appear to be a certain kill only to find that in the same instant the ball is somehow picked up by the Lady Falcons, who in turn, set up their own kill attempt. The all-around play, defensive fortitude and composure displayed by the Lady Falcons this season has resulted in their reward of reaching the Region IV-5A Tournament.

"I'm confident in my teammates on the court," said Gloriana Villarreal, a senior returning starter and team captain. "I'm very proud of the players on this team, especially the underclassmen for stepping in and doing what they've done. Everyone has contributed equally in getting this team to where it is now.

"We've been working very hard since the summer to get to this point," she added. "And now, the feeling is just unreal."

Besides Villarreal, other senior returning starters to begin the season included Hayley Weaver and Ileah Ortiz. New contributors to the lineup, either from last season's bench or up from the junior varsity, are Ashley Ortega, Debbie Lozano, Caitlin Lindsay, Stephanie Shears, Gabby Gonzales and Kaylah Zepeda. Lozano, a junior standout hitter and starter, suffered a season-ending leg injury early in the second game against South on Tuesday.

For everyone involved, it's been quite a memorable experience.

"I didn't play that much last year, and this season, I feel like I'm part of something pretty amazing," Ortega said. "We have amazing teamwork, and we just love each other so much. The way we've been playing, it's just been incredible."

Added Lindsay, "A lot of teams have one or two main hitters, but for us, everyone can hit, block and dig, and that's a big asset to have on a team. Playing together the way we do, we pull through."

It's been the Lady Falcons' good fortune to play each of their first three playoff matches at home. Prior to prevailing over South, Los Fresnos defeated Edinburg Economedes 25-13, 25-10, 30-28 in bi-district and McAllen High 25-16, 25-21, 25-15 in the area round. The Lady Falcons have yet to drop a game in the postseason, even though they trailed by nine points three times during the third game against Economedes and they were down by eight points, 18-10, in the third game against South.

"To come back like we have just shows a lot of character, especially against South when we had lost one of our starters (to injury)," Lady Falcons assistant coach Dolores Olguin-Treviño said. "It's just amazing and pretty unbelievable. I knew these girls could do it if they would just focus and continue to play the way they've been playing with intensity."

Shears said it's rewarding to see the team accomplish its goal of staying alive in the playoffs and advancing to San Antonio.

"It's wonderful to play on this team," she said. "We have heart and we motivate each other on the court. We have very good communication with each other. The past years they had it, and a lot of heart, too, but this year, we've got it (even more)." 

Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at rhess@brownsvilleherald.com