Led by a strong defensive effort from Jordan Bravo and a gutsy performance by Lorelai Hill, the Diamondbacks kicked down the door and captured the program’s first district title, downing the reigning District 31-5A champion McAllen Memorial Mustangs 25-22, 19-25, 25-20, 13-25, 15-5 on Tuesday at McAllen Memorial High School.
“I started when we went to Pioneer eight years ago and we haven’t been able to get a district championship under our belt,” Sharyland Pioneer head coach Laura Cavazos said. “We’ve fallen short as runners-up a few times. But I knew this team could make history and leave their mark on Pioneer. They’ve done that.”
After taking the fourth set in dominating fashion, the Mustangs seemed to have momentum on their side, eyeing back-to-back district titles.
The Diamondbacks had different plans, however, dominating the final set behind timely blocks and kills from Bravo and Mariana Treviño.
Hill delivered the play of the night during the final set, limping to the back line after taking hard fall midway through the set. Playing through an evident injury, Hill served the ball over the net and record an ace, forcing the Diamondbacks to take a timeout.
“She is tough and relentless,” Cavazos said. “She is a total fighter. She was hurting a little bit. She came off and I asked her if she wanted to go back in. She definitely did. That ace was awesome. I’m so glad I didn’t take her out. She just did an awesome job for us and kept fighting through the pain. She did a great job.”
Hill’s play kept momentum on their side, helping the Diamondbacks dominate the final set and earn the district title.
The Diamondbacks’ win puts the exclamation point on a historic regular season, capturing their first district title, while also winning the most games in program history. Pioneer’s 35 wins surpass its previous win total of 32 during the 2018 season.
“It feels good,” Cavazos said. “I think this is going to do a lot for our confidence. We’ve already been practicing hard and training our mental aspect to get ready the playoffs. I think a win like this is really going to set us in the right direction.”
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