By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
On the court and in the classroom, members of the Queens varsity volleyball team earned its share of accolades after one of its more successful seasons in recent memory.
Del Rio placed four girls on the 30-6A All-District teams. Del Rio also had seven players earn spots on the 30-6A All-Academic team. The Queens finished tied for fourth place but missed out on the playoffs.
The all-district lists were released following Laredo United’s 3-0 loss to Lake Travis in the Class 6A, Region IV Semifinals. United, the district champions, was the last 30-6A team still in the playoffs.
Senior Karolina Alderete was the lone first team honoree. One of the Queens’ most versatile players, Alderete was just at home at the net as she was playing defense in the back line or serving up aces. Her name often dotted the stats sheet, always among the leaders in kills and digs. She was hobbled by an ankle injury for the Queens’ final two matches, but she played hard and was respected enough by the district’s coaches to earn a place on the first team.
Senior Kylie Ramirez and junior Syann Casillas were named to the all-district second team.
Ramirez was a member of the Queens’ Guard, the high-leaping defenders of the net that provided the first line of defense against Del Rio’s foes. Ramirez was another stat sheet standout, always among the team’s leaders in kills and blocks.
Casillas was the team’s leader in assists and often among the team leaders in digs in each match. Casillas easily transitioned into the role of setter and showed she could put her teammates into the best places to help no matter the situation. Her experience will be key to the Queens’ success next season.
Junior Angela Mijares was an all-district honorable mention. The only returner from the 2021 squad with any all-district experience, she was an honorable mention as a sophomore as well, Mijares shook off an injury-plagued sophomore season to become a solid part of the team as a junior. The team’s libero, Mijares was the team’s leader in digs, often times sacrificing her own health to make the save on the ball.
Five seniors and two juniors were named to the all-academic team. Seniors Alderete, Valeria Galindo, Hadriana Garabedian, Ashlee Hernandez and Jessica Mata and juniors Casillas and Jazira Cuenca were each honored for their work in the classroom. Garabedian was an all-academic honoree as a junior as well.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
