By CONSTANCIO MARTINEZ, JR.
Special to the PRESS
This past week, the Lady Tarpons volleyball team competed in the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) summer tournament, where they participated in three days of pool play.
While playing in the bronze bracket, they took down La Feria, which set up a matchup with Harlingen’s #2 team in the championship game. Although they lost to the Lady Cards, the Port Isabel (PI) girls displayed teamwork and hustle and came away with a second-place finish in the bronze bracket. PI volleyball head coach, Johvonne Howard, was proud of their effort and resilience. “Overall, it was a fun experience playing for the championship,” said Howard.
Leading the charge were seniors Emily Burrage and Halle Mata. They were joined by juniors Nadia Flaig, Julieta Ruiz, Issabel Cuevas and Kymberlie Estrada. Attending and hoping to make the upcoming varsity squad were freshmen, Layla Mata and Isabel Ochoa, who had to adapt to the faster passing game and learn the offensive and defensive schemes.
Then, on Jun. 17–18, the following four volleyball players—Nadia Flaig, Emily Burrage, Issabel Cuevas and Precious Vasquez—traveled to McAllen, TX, to participate in the Torok Volleyball Camp. The girls received instruction from University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) head coach Carol Torok and her staff at the Cavazos Sports Institute. Monday’s session was focused on defense. In Tuesday’s morning session, the participants concentrated on passing and serving. It was followed by an afternoon session, which involved hitting and setting.
Coach Howard stated that the girls “enjoyed the clinic and learned some valuable drills and lessons.” Furthermore, she was glad the girls were able to showcase their skills during the clinic, as “exposure to college personnel doesn’t come often,” said coach Howard. She also wanted to express gratitude to the following two sponsors: Isabel Jensen and Frank Davalos Jr.
The upcoming Port Isabel Early College High School (PIECHS) volleyball season will begin on Aug. 5 at 6:30 a.m. at the high school gym. All participants need their medical history, physicals and all rank-one forms completed.
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