Sharyland High head coach Lydia De Leon said she wasn’t as concerned with what a streaking Corpus Christi Veterans team would bring to the championship match of the Sharyland ISD Volleyball Tournament as much as how she wanted her hitters to perform.

They performed. Kenisha Martinez, Pamela Pena and Kassandra De La Garza combined for 27 kills – 11, nine and seven respectively as the hottest team in the Valley – and maybe the most sizzling from Corpus Christi  to the Texas-Mexico border – won their third straight tournament championship with a 25-23, 25-17 victory over the Eagles. CC Vets had won 13 of their past 14 matches coming into the final and had secured a pair of tournament titles in Floresville and during their host SpikeFest event. They are 13-4 overall.

“We wanted to see what our hitters could do off the block, finally being able to play a team that our blockers had to adjust to,” De Leon said. “We want to continue to be more dynamic, being able to move the ball around the beam, having multiple threats.”

Sharyland, which seems to thrive during tournaments, won their third tournament of the season, also winning McAllen High’s Poundfest for the second straight year and the Sinton Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Martinez was named the tournament MVP, giving her three tourney title this season. She has won four straight MVPs in the Sinton tournament as well.

De Leon, in her first year coaching at the varsity level, has watched and developed a squad that seemed to have a few question marks when the season began – like who else would step up with their two stars – De La Garza and Martinez. Pena and freshman setter Jayleen Berlanga have been two of those answers.

Pena, a sophomore, seems already prepared to take the torch when the seniors graduate. She is second on the squad with 3.1 kills per set, only behind Martinez’s 4.1 kills per set. She is another serious threat from the outside.

Berlanga is stepping more and more into the setter role and looking comfortable doing sp. She not only provides relief for De La Garza, but allows her more opportunities to swing her heavy hammer-like left hand and keep Sharyland in a 6-2 instead of a 5-1 on offense.

Sharyland has defeated Vets the past two years in the playoffs. Vets, who was swept early in the season in the same gym against Pioneer, exacted their revenge in the semifinals, winning in three sets to set up the finals matchup.

While balance is great, come crunch time, having a go-to player to carry the enormous load down the stretch in a tight game is critical.

Vets rallied from a 22-18 deficit in the first set behind some tight rope serving and the Eagles grabbed a 23-22 lead. That when Martinez and De La Garza did what they’re expected to do. First, Martinez landed a kill on the back line to tie the game at 23. De La Garza followed it with a thunderous kill down the line to set up game point, which happened on a Martinez ace.

“Having multiple threats sometimes can take the pressure of Kenisha and Kassandra. Knowing if they are having a hard day, or are getting blocked, we can send the ball to the other side,” De Leon said. “We were all just very excited to see a team we might face again in the playoffs.

“(Kenisha) is somebody where if she doesn’t have the ball, she’s still out go-to with her voice and leadership. Even when she’s not in the front or part of the play, she’s a go-to in the back leading the team.”

Sharyland improved to 21-3 and it 1-0 in District 31-5A. The Rattlers return to district play Tuesday at McAllen High, a district foe expected to battle for a high seed in the playoffs and, possibly, a district title. Shary won a tournament match against the Bulldogs, two sets to one, earlier this season. The Rattlers are 21-3 overall and have won 17 straight.

“We won’t forget about what happened in this tournament but will use it as fuel to keep going,” De Leon said. “We don’t want to get complacent or to be content – we have McHi on Tuesday.”