Volleyball: Mission Veterans Shows Its Identity Early in Sweep of Edinburg

By Diamond DITV | Fan Perspective

You don’t want to overreact to the first match of a volleyball season.

But you can still learn something from it.

And after watching Mission Veterans Memorial sweep Edinburg High on Tuesday night, 25-19, 25-14, 25-14, the biggest takeaway wasn’t just the score.

It was how connected Mission Veterans looked.

From courtside, the communication was impossible to miss. The Patriots were constantly talking during rallies, chasing balls, covering for each other and staying composed when points got extended.

Edinburg managed to keep several rallies alive, but Mission Veterans kept winning the long ones. The numbers backed up what we were seeing, with the Patriots finishing the match with 69 digs in just three sets.

“I think our chemistry, because we’re so close off the court too,” Mady Perez said after the match. “So it’s easier on the court to be more aware of where people are and our surroundings.”

That chemistry showed up all night.

And Mission Veterans did it without one of its biggest pieces.

Delilah Cantù, one of the Patriots’ go-to players, did not play. Coach Lerma said afterward that Mission Veterans had to adjust its lineup.

“I think the girls adjusted very, very well,” Lerma said.

That’s probably underselling it.

Mady Brought the Power — And the Numbers

We’ve talked plenty about Perez coming into this season, and watching her from courtside reinforced why.

She hits the volleyball hard.

There was a noticeable difference when Perez got a clean swing, and the final numbers showed just how productive she was.

Perez finished with 24 kills and 24 digs in three sets, hitting .305 on 59 attempts. She accounted for 24 of Mission Veterans’ 40 kills while also leading the Patriots in digs.

And fittingly, she finished the night herself.

Perez put down the match-clinching kill to complete the sweep.

But Mission Veterans didn’t look like a team relying entirely on one player. Iliana Franco added 10 kills, while Jackelyn Morales finished with 18 digs.

That may have been just as encouraging for the Patriots.

Sofia Gutierrez Made Herself Hard to Ignore

Then there was freshman Sofia Gutierrez.

She was one of those players who kept catching our attention before we ever saw a stat sheet.

Gutierrez made plays offensively and defensively, contributed at the net and gave Veterans something from the service line.

The numbers confirmed some of what we saw.

Gutierrez finished with three kills, two aces and two blocks. Those were the only two blocks credited to Mission Veterans all night.

“I think she’s going to be super good,” Perez said. “I think she’s super reliable. She doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”

Perez also praised Gutierrez’s arm swing, vertical and defense and said she believes the freshman is going to be “a really amazing player to watch out for.”

Coach Lerma spoke highly of her development as well, pointing to the confidence and leadership surrounding her.

It’s one match, so there’s no need to make a huge declaration yet.

But Sofia Gutierrez is a name worth remembering.

Edinburg Responded. Mission Veterans Responded Bigger.

The Bobcats’ best stretch came early in the third set.

After dropping the first two, Edinburg came out with more energy and grabbed a 5-4 lead.

Then Mission Veterans took over.

That 5-4 deficit became a 19-7 Patriots lead — a 15-2 run that effectively put the match away.

Edinburg did a better job extending rallies during stretches of the third set, but the same thing kept happening: Veterans found a way to finish the point.

The communication difference was noticeable too. Mission Veterans was loud and active throughout rallies. From our position courtside, Edinburg was noticeably quieter and struggled at times to find the same rhythm.

Veterans was also remarkably steady from the service line, putting 71 of 73 serves in play while recording eight aces.

That’s not a season verdict on the Bobcats.

It’s August. There is plenty of time for Edinburg to grow.

But on Tuesday night, the difference between the two teams was clear.

“I Hope They Do.”

Maybe the best quote of the night came after the match.

At media day, Mission Veterans talked about being underestimated. So after watching the Patriots open the season with a road sweep, we asked Coach Lerma whether she thought teams would still underestimate them.

“I hope they do,” Lerma said.

She followed that by talking about a team that continues to get stronger and, most importantly, knows how to adjust.

Tuesday night gave us some evidence.

Without Cantù in the lineup, Mission Veterans adjusted. Perez delivered 24 kills and 24 digs. Gutierrez gave us a freshman to start watching. Franco provided another attacking option. Morales helped anchor a defense that kept balls alive. And throughout the night, the Patriots communicated, hustled and repeatedly found ways to win the longer rallies.

Then they walked out of Edinburg with a 25-19, 25-14, 25-14 sweep.

It’s August. There’s a lot of volleyball left.

But Mission Veterans gave us a pretty good first look at what this team wants to be.