LCC Palomino volleyball preps for tough season
A tough season looms on the horizon for the Laredo Community College volleyball team as the Lady Palominos begin their journey at the Texas Tornados Tournament next week, Aug. 28-29, in Houston.
The action heats up quickly for the Palominos at the Tornados’ second annual Junior College Invitational Tournament, which will feature national defending champion Blinn College. Other Top 25 nationally ranked teams scheduled to play are No. 9, San Jacinto; No. 10, Hillsborough; and No. 17, Redlands.
“It will be a great opportunity for the Palominos to launch their season playing teams of high caliber,” LCC head coach Binny Canales said. “This will be a valuable way to gauge the team’s performance and give us a preview of what to expect as the season unfolds.”
Finding court space to practice is another factor that has come to play for Canales and the Palominos.
With their gym occupied for college registration activities since last week, the Palominos have had to find a place to practice elsewhere.
“Having to practice off campus makes it more difficult for the team to sharpen their skills with so many distractions to deal with,” Canales said.
Still Canales is optimistic about the team’s outlook for the season.
“The talent is good. They are all good at attacking the ball. But there is still a lot of work to do before the season starts, and we have less than a week to accomplish it,” Canales noted.
The 13-member team includes two returning players, a transfer from powerhouse Miami Dade College and ten freshmen.
Clary Martinez, a 5-foot defensive specialist from Laredo, and Bianca Mares, a 5-foot-10 middle blocker from San Antonio, are the only two players returning from the 2008 squad, which finished 16th nationally and second in Region 14, District M.
The transfer is Sonia Lerma, a Rio Grande Valley native, whose mother played for the Palominos years ago.
Among the freshmen pool are Laredoans Kassy Santos and Daniella Herrera, four players from Hawaii and three from Brazil.
This season LCC is scheduled to host seven home matches, beginning with Region 14 conference foe Wharton County Junior College on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.
Other home matches include the two-day LCC International Tourney (Sept. 11-12), Galveston (Sept. 26), Coastal Bend (Sept. 28), Lee (Oct. 23), San Jacinto (Oct. 24) and Coastal Bend (Oct. 28).
All local matches will be held in the Maravillo Gymnasium at LCC’s Fort McIntosh Campus. Admission is free and open to the campus body and public.
Following the season opener in Houston, the Palominos confront the Saints of Our Lady of the Lake University on Sept. 2 and again on Sept. 14 in San Antonio. The Saints are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Thereafter, the Palominos travel out of state Sept. 18 and 19 to compete at a two-day tournament hosted by Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. Northeastern is currently ranked 19th in the national polls.
Canales is embarking on his ninth season as head volleyball coach for LCC. He is assisted by Miguel Mendoza.
The Laredo Community College Palomino 2009 volleyball squad and staff include, front row, Daniella Herrera, Clary Martinez, Bianca Mares; middle, assistant coach Miguel Mendoza, Maria Tereza Moulaz, Latricia Taifane, Olivia Freitas, Vanessa D Los Santos, Christine Ruckman, Beatriz Ferreira, head coach Binny Canales; back, Marie Nataniela, Kassy Santos, Juri Franzen and Sonia Lerma.
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