Veterans Memorial tops Sharyland High in District 31-5A clash

The Sharyland Lady Rattlers (17-14, 5-2) hosted the 18th state ranked Mission Veterans Memorial Lady Patriots (22-11, 7-0) in a battle between District 31-5A powerhouses.

The Lady Patriots came out to make a statement in the first set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on their way to winning the first set 25-11.

In the second set, the Lady Rattlers opened up with a 7-0 lead and looked to be in good shape to even the match at one game apiece. The Lady Patriots responded by coming from behind to win the second set 25-20.

Lady Patriots head coach Martina Carrillo spoke about her team’s performance Tuesday night.

“It’s important for us to stay undefeated. We’re trying to improve in every area every time we’re on the court,” Carrillo said. “We started off pretty good, we came out strong at the beginning. We did good at the net, they executed well and I was pleased with their performance.”

With their backs against the wall, the Lady Rattlers proved they can play with the best in the district, winning the third set 25-23 in dramatic fashion when senior captain Norma Quintanilla scrambled for the game winning kill after an intense rally.

In the fourth set, the Lady Patriots showed why they sit at the top of district standings. Led by Iliana Contreras and Makenzie Gerlach, they closed out the Lady Rattlers to win the match with a 25-15 victory in the fourth set.

Lady Rattlers head volleyball coach Raul Castillo talked about how the team was tested in their first go round with the Lady Patriots.

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“We knew they were going to be a tough team so we knew we had to play tough. The girls forced that game four, but we didn’t capitalize on our opportunities,” Castillo said. “We’ll prepare for them when we see them again but right now this game is over, we have to get ready for the next game.”

For the Lady Rattlers, Quintanilla posted a team high 11 kills and 3 blocks. On the Lady Patriots side, Gerlach totaled 14 kills and 9 digs on the night while Contreras filled the stat sheet with 34 assists, 6 digs, 3 aces, 2 kills and 1 block.

The two teams will meet again Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. when the Lady Patriots host the Lady Rattlers.