Sanchez, Atkinson, Medina lead VMS All-Area Volleyball Team

To say the San Benito Lady ’Hounds’ volleyball season was special wouldn’t even be close to enough.

San Benito’s campaign was spectacular, as it went 24-9 on the year and captured the program’s first-ever bi-district championship with a win over Edinburg.

And because of the landmark season, the Lady ’Hounds ruled in the return of the Valley Morning Star’s All-Area volleyball team.

Kassandra Sanchez (also the 32-5A MVP) was named the All-Area Most Valuable Player while San Benito’s Ruby Medina is the area’s top coach.

Not a bad way to cap a terrific season.

"To win this is an honor," said Sanchez, a middle blocker for the Lady ’Hounds. "This being my senior year, I worked so hard and it’s paid off."

Sanchez was simply brilliant all year.

Another in a recent line of San Benito multi-sport standouts, Sanchez boomed 701 kills and had 203 blocks to pace San Benito to a second-place finish in 32-5A.

"It was very special since it was our senior year," Sanchez said of the historic year. "The underclassmen played for us seniors and everybody worked hard as a team. And we had fun at the same time."

Medina saw Sanchez for four years on the court and had high praise for her senior leader.

"She’s an all-around athlete," Medina said of Sanchez. "I moved her up as a freshman and she grew each season. She was very loyal to the program and she’s just awesome.

She’s a tremendous athlete and I told her she had the talent to play Division-I volleyball."

Sanchez has already verbally committed to Texas-Pan American to play for the Lady Broncs and will sign next week.

"It’s awesome," Sanchez said of signing with the D-I program. "Being able to accomplish one thing and now I’m gonna have to work harder to take it up a notch to play at the next level."

In a year that had so many team accomplishments, it’s only fitting that Sanchez said it’s the team camaraderie she’ll remember most along with that elusive playoff victory.

"My teammates and winning that playoff game that hadn’t been done before," Sanchez said. "We never played a home playoff game, so it was pretty exciting."

Medina, a San Benito grad who’s coached her hometown team for the past nine years, knew this team would be special after a little seasoning.

"We started a little shaky since we had a couple of new setters," Medina said. "I told the girls we’d be OK, and we devoted a lot of the time to the setters.

After that, I felt the team built a lot of confidence. It started from there and things fell into place. I was very proud of out setters for adjusting and we played well."

San Benito started to win matches and was a mainstay in the Valley Freedom Newspapers’ Top 10 for the most part. It finished at No. 6.

"We were doing so well and I felt that the team chemistry was a big part of that," Medina said. "The girls felt very comfortable with the team we had. No bitterness or anything like that. They were very united and that helped a lot this year."

The magic came with a playoff win against Edinburg at home. San Benito won a five-game thriller to win its first-ever playoff match. They fell to Laredo Alexander in area.

"They wanted to make history and they always said that. They had their minds set to what they wanted to do," Medina said. "That was one of our goals from the beginning. It was a tough match against Edinburg (five games), but our girls wanted it so bad. I was very excited and proud of the girls. They deserved it."

Meanwhile, Rio Hondo’s Samantha Atkinson was named the area’s top newcomer.

Atkinson was all over the court for a very young Lady Bobcats team at setter and outside hitter. The sophomore also nabbed 32-3A’s all-district newcomer award.

"Samantha’s very knowledgeable and was a good team leader for us," Rio Hondo coach Danette Atkinson said. "I hardly ever pulled her off the court and she could play any position you wanted her to play.

She’s got great court perception, and she’s a really great setter too," her coach added.

On a team full of sophomores, coach Atkinson is hopeful the experienced gained will lead to an improved year in 2012.

"I know she and the rest of the team is really gonna do a lot better next year," she said.

First team

With first-year coach Lupe Garza at the helm, the Harlingen South Lady Hawks had a little adjusting to do.

Not because of Garza, the longtime assistant to legendary coach Steve Lunsford. But rather because of just four returning starters.

With a couple of speed bumps along the way, South saw Edinburg North win the 31-5A title.

But they had some magic left for the playoffs.

South beat Brownsville Rivera and "upset" Sharyland to reach the regional quarters, where the Lady Hawks fell to Los Fresnos.

However, not all’s lost.

Jennifer Duran, Ronnie Garcia, Sydney Herrera (the team’s three seniors) each nabbed all-area first team spots. Junior Doryann Perez, another key component, was also first team.

Harlingen’s Bianka Martinez was a bright spot and earned first-team honors as well.

All five Capital City players were first-team 31-5A selections with Duran (Setter of the Year) and Herrera (Defensive Player of the Year) earning superlative nods.

Joining those five on the first team is Mercedes multi-sporter Stephanie Flores (first-team 32-4A) along with Lyford standout Maggie Vasquez, the 31-3A Offensive Player of the Year.

Second team

Four of the five players to share the 32-A MVP honor land on the VMS second team.

Santa Maria’s Virginia Carranza, Lasara’s Amy Cantu, America Ortiz of La Villa and Amy Trevino of San Perlita earned second-team nods with their super seasons.

Joining the quartet are Jennifer Exinia (La Feria), Adriana Flores (San Benito), and Belinda Orozco (Rio Hondo).

2011 VMS All-Area Volleyball Team

Most Valuable Player
Kassandra Sanchez, San Benito
Newcomer of the Year
Samantha Atkinson, Rio Hondo
Coach of the Year
Ruby Medina, San Benito

FIRST TEAM
Jennifer Duran, Harlingen South
Stephanie Flores, Mercedes
Ronnie Garcia, Harlingen South
Sydney Herrera, Harlingen South
Bianka Martinez, Harlingen
Doryann Perez, Harlingen South
Maggie Vasquez, Lyford
SECOND TEAM
Virginia Carranza, Santa Maria
Amy Cantu, Lasara
Jennifer Exinia, La Feria
Adriana Flores, San Benito
Belinda Orozco, Rio Hondo
America Ortiz, La Villa
Amy Trevino, San Perlita

THIRD TEAM
Miranda Capetillo, Raymondville
Bianca Fox, Santa Rosa
Mariah Hernandez, San Perlita
Mikayla Johnson, La Feria
Stephanie Lugo, Harlingen South
Desiree Serna, La Feria
Julia Zamora, La Feria