San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Harlan’s run ends in state semifinal loss
GARLAND — Harlan coach Monica Gonzales carried the UIL Class 6A state semifinalist trophy into the press room following her team’s loss against Katy Cinco Ranch on Friday at the Culwell Center.
While she was disappointed her Hawks didn’t come out on top, carrying the trophy brought a sense of accomplishment. In the locker room, after Cinco Ranch had pinned a 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21 victory against Harlan, she let her team know that.
“Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn’t show what we needed to, but I explained to them in a couple of days, a couple of weeks, you are going to sit back and reflect on how well we did,” Gonzales said. “People go through their entire career as a coach and as a player and never get the opportunity to come up to Garland and play on the state floor. The final four.”
Hawks senior outside hitter Aniya Joseph said her farewell to the team in the locker room. It’s where the reality of never playing with this team again hit.
“The toughest part was not losing tonight,” Joseph said. “It was losing each other. We were really close as a team. We were really close last year and got even closer this year, so having to say goodbye to each other was really, really tough on everyone.”
Joseph established herself as the Hawks’ go-to hitter since joining the team last year after
moving from New Mexico.
“These group of girls are really special, and I couldn’t have asked for better people,” Joseph said.
The Hawks’ sixth season ended at 44-6. Until this year, Harlan has never advanced past the regional
semifinals.
Cinco Ranch (38-5) kept the Hawks on their heels with tough serving that didn’t allow them to establish a consistent attack.
“They kind of got us out of system,” Gonzales said. “Offensively, I think we struggled a little
bit. We’ve always been a first contact team. If we can’t control our first contact, everything kind of goes downhill. At moments, I thought we would come back, but we just couldn’t get over that little hump.”
Joseph led the Hawks with 17 kills. There could have been more, but the Cougars kept balls in play that normally would have found the floor.
“It was very irritating,” Joseph said. “They are a really great team defensively. They were picking every single ball up.”
As frustrating as it was, the Hawks kept pounding away.
“We had to keep fighting for these points to get down,” sophomore setter Da’Mya Mann said. “But they kept picking everything up.”
Harlan defeated Cinco Ranch earlier in the season, 2-0, at the Leander Volleypalooza. The Cougars learned then that Joseph was the one to stop.
“She’s a great hitter,” Cinco Ranch junior Kassie O’Brien said. “We knew going into the game that she was going to have big kills, and it was going to be a matter of how we were going to stop her and just do good on our side. We had to set up a good block and be ready on defense because she has a powerful arm.”
Mann finished with 11 kills and 17 assists. Isabella De La Rosa had 26 assists. Brooklyn Vigil had 15 digs.
Gabi Martinez led the Cougars with 16 kills. Makenna Loo had 14 kills. O’Brien had 44 assists. Maggie Finnegan had 19 digs.
Cinco Ranch faces Conroe Grand Oaks for the 6A championship at 5 p.m. Saturday. Grand Oaks outlasted Prosper in five sets in the other semifinal.