The Permian volleyball team made the most of its early chances.

During the first set between crosstown rivals, Odessa High gifted the Lady Panthers 17 points on errors.

Permian used those miscues en route to a 25-20 victory and the team wrapped up its sweep 25-21, 25-21 during a District 2-6A contest on Tuesday at the Permian Fieldhouse.

“In the first set, (Odessa High) gave us six points off of their missed serves,” Permian head coach Gillian Herrera said. 
“Going into second set, we knew that wouldn’t be the case and they were going to serve us tougher. We were going to need to earn our own points and we did a good job of that.”

Permian senior outside hitter Hallie Silvas said during a rivalry contest, the team can’t get swept up in the extracurricular events of the match.

Silvas — who ended with six kills, five digs and four aces — felt the team performed well against defensive-minded Odessa High. The Lady Panthers (18-14 overall, 3-5 District 2-6A) finished with 33 kills, while the Lady Bronchos (6-24, 0-7) supplied 64 digs.

“It’s really intense, because we have fan on both sides,” Silvas said looking at Permian’s home stands and Odessa High’s away stands. “It gets really intense in here, but we have to focus on the game and not the crowd.”

Odessa High head coach Victoria Smith feels extremely confident with her defensive specialists — Katrina Garcia and Gabrielle Jaquez. The two combined for 28 digs.

Though the Lady Bronchos ended with its sixth sweep in district play, Smith said the team is slowly putting together strong performances.

“In the first set, we struggled a little defensively, but then we started picking it up,” Smith said. “My (defensive specialists) are pretty good in my opinion. They read really well and move really well. It’s about making sure that all the pieces come together. All the way to 25 points.”

In the first set, the Lady Panthers used Odessa High errors to claim a victory.

The Lady Bronchos came within three, 23-20, after a kill from Alyssa Rocha. Permian scored the next two points which included Silvas’ set-winning ace.

Odessa High and Permian went back and forth during the second set. The Lady Panthers eventually grabbed a 15-12 lead after a kill from Tristiana Abila, but the Lady Bronchos responded with a 4-0 run capped by a Permian error. Tied at 20, the Lady Panthers made their move as they scored five of the next six points.

During the final set, the Lady Bronchos and Lady Panthers each made runs. Much like the second set, Permian pull away in the closing points. The Lady Panthers grabbed the lead for good, 19-17, after a back-to-back Lady Bronchos errors. Permian maintained that slight advantage as Abila and Enedina Minjarez supplied kills to claim the three-set sweep.

Abila ended with a match-high 14 kills, while Minjarez added two blocks. Karissa Cortez dished out 16 assists and Alissa Miramontez had 17 digs. Natalia Abila served up four aces.

For the Lady Bronchos, Adaila Elizondo had a team-high 12 kills. Marina Gonzales and Destiny Velasquez each had three blocks, while Brianna McClure posted 16 assists.

Odessa High hosts San Angelo Central at 5 p.m. Friday, while Permian is idle. Smith said the team is looking forward to fine-tuning aspects of their play for the Lady Cats.

“We will have a few practices to work on new things and new lineups, which is what we’ve been doing leading up to this game, but it was quick,” Smith said. “I’m glad to have a little more time since we will be at home.”

Herrera said the team is relieved is have an open date on Friday.

Yet, that open date won’t stop the Lady Panthers from working as they travel to Midland Lee at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“A little bit of rest will be nice for them, they played a lot of games,” Herrera said. “We are going to go back into the weight room and run some, too, and get prepared for next week.”
