Volleyball: Lyford Has Earned the Favorite Label. The Fight Behind Them Is Anything but Settled.

By Diamond DITV | Fan Perspective

We tried to find a reason not to pick Lyford.

We really did.

Then we looked at 26 wins, a 17-1 district record, four straight seasons with at least 22 victories and most of last year’s listed roster potentially coming back.

Yeah.

We’re sticking with Lyford.

The fun starts after that.

Lyford Has Earned No. 1

There is not much mystery at the top.

Lyford finished 26-13 overall and went 17-1 in district play last season, adding another strong year to a program that has been one of the most consistent in 32-3A.

The Bulldogs also appear to bring back a large chunk of last year’s team, with Lauren Rodriguez, Ella Gonzales, Ashley Silva, Dyane Castilo, Adriana Caballero, Selma Gudino, Stephanie Chavez, Kourtney Gonzales and Emilia Kirksey among the potential returners.

That is a lot of continuity for a team that already won 26 matches.

So until somebody gives us a real reason to move them, Lyford stays at No. 1.

That does not mean they were untouchable last season.

Raymondville proved that.

But over the course of a full district schedule, Lyford was still the most reliable team in 32-3A.

Progreso Gets the Edge Over Frontier

This is probably the most interesting argument in the district.

Progreso or Brownsville IDEA Frontier?

Frontier has the more obvious returning core.

Progreso has the results.

And those results are hard to talk around.

Progreso swept Frontier twice last season.

Six sets played. Six sets won.

They also beat Pharr Vanguard in the playoffs and pushed Lyford to four sets late in the season.

That is enough for us to put Progreso second.

We know less about exactly what Progreso brings back, so there is some uncertainty here. But until Frontier proves that matchup has changed, it is hard to put them ahead of a team that handled them twice.

Frontier Has Every Chance to Flip It

Putting Brownsville IDEA Frontier third is not a knock.

The Chargers won 20 matches last season and could bring back most of the listed varsity roster.

The biggest issue is replacing offense.

Danna Melo and Alexa Villarreal accounted for a big part of Frontier’s attack last season, and both graduated.

But there is plenty coming back around that.

Krista Rivera had 850 assists as a sophomore. Neidyn Camacho finished with more than 600 digs. Evelyn Lopez led the team in blocks and hit nearly .400.

That is a strong foundation.

If Frontier replaces the offense it lost, this team can absolutely finish second.

Maybe even first.

The problem is simple.

Progreso already gave us an answer last season.

Now Frontier gets a chance to give us a different one.

Raymondville Is the Wild Card

Raymondville might be the hardest team in the top half to predict.

The upside is obvious.

The Bearkats were the only district team to beat Lyford last season.

That is a pretty good way to get our attention.

The concern is just as obvious.

Nine seniors were listed on last year’s 13-player roster.

That is a lot of experience to replace.

So where do you put a team that proved it could beat the district champion but now has to replace most of its roster?

For us, fourth feels fair.

But Raymondville is also the team most likely to make that ranking look wrong if the next group comes together quickly.

Pike Is Right Outside the Playoff Picture

Weslaco IDEA Pike gets our No. 5 spot.

The Mavericks were not consistently beating the top teams last season, but they did enough to separate themselves from the lower half.

Pike split with Rio Hondo, swept Brownsville IDEA Sports Park and managed to take sets from some of the better teams in the district.

That does not put them in the championship conversation.

It does put them close enough to matter.

And with Raymondville replacing so much, Pike may be the first team waiting if one of our projected top four slips.

After That, Things Get Much Less Certain

Brownsville IDEA Riverview gets the edge at No. 6 after beating Rio Hondo 3-1 last season.

Santa Rosa comes in seventh. The Warriors have struggled in recent reported results, but there is enough uncertainty around the roster to leave room for improvement.

Rio Hondo lands eighth after a couple of difficult seasons, although the Bobcats did split with Pike last year.

Brownsville IDEA Robindale gets the No. 9 spot. The Aviators do have a verified tournament win, but the district results show a pretty clear gap between them and the stronger teams.

Brownsville IDEA Sports Park sits at No. 10 for now.

That is the part of the projection we trust the least.

One good offseason could change Nos. 6 through 10 pretty quickly.

Diamond DITV Preseason Prediction

1. Lyford

2. Progreso

3. Brownsville IDEA Frontier

4. Raymondville

5. Weslaco IDEA Pike

6. Brownsville IDEA Riverview

7. Santa Rosa

8. Rio Hondo

9. Brownsville IDEA Robindale

10. Brownsville IDEA Sports Park

Lyford has earned the No. 1 spot.

Progreso has already shown it can beat Frontier.

Frontier may have the returning core to change that matchup.

Raymondville has already proven Lyford can be beaten.

So yes, Lyford is the favorite.

But nobody should confuse favorite with safe.