(Port Isabel’s Ashlyn Wright rejects the ball during the Port Isabel vs Tuloso-Midway match. October, 29, 2026. Picture by Constancio Martinez Jr)
By: Constancio Martinez Jr
On Thursday, October 29, 2026 the Port Isabel Lady Tarpons hosted the
Tuloso-Midway Lady Warriors in a first round Bi-District matchup.
Prior to the game, the Lady Tarpons had secured the final playoff spot in
District 32-4A by winning a three-team Play-In tournament against La Grulla and
La Feria. Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors entered the postseason after finishing
second in their district standings.
During pregame warmups, the Lady Warriors clearly had a clear height
advantage over the Lady Tarpons. However, Port Isabel showed no signs of being
intimidated, as the team’s competitive spirit remained unshaken.
In the opening set, the Lady Warriors quickly jumped out to 5-1 lead behind
solid defensive play. The Lady Tarpons fought back, narrowing the deficit 6-4, but
Tuloso-Midway regained control and pulled away to go up 14-5, forcing PI to call a
timeout.
Following the break, the Lady Warriors continued to add to their lead,
extending it to 18-6. The Lady Tarpons struggled to return the ball consistently,
and eventually dropped the first set, 25-12.
The Lady Warriors opened the second set with the serve, and the Lady
Tarpons returned it, setting off a back-and-forth rally as both teams battled to
keep the ball in play. After several exchanges, the ball finally sailed out of bounds,
giving Tuloso-Midway the point. Despite losing the rally, the Lady Tarpons effort
showed they weren’t going down without a fight.
Down 4-5, PI’s senior Escarlett Urrutia delivered a powerful spike that
ricocheted off the defenders and landed for a point, tying the game. Urrutia
continued to make her presence felt at the net, showcasing her skills on both
offense and defense.
The two teams continue to battle, exchanging leads several times.
Midway through the set, the game was tied at 13-13 before the Lady
Warriors reeled off 4 consecutive points, prompting Port Isabel to call a timeout.
Following the break, Layla Mata came through with a block at the net to
give the Lady Tarpons the possession. With Mata serving, PI added two more
points to close the gap before TM regained possession and maintained an 18-16
advantage. One of the highlights of the rally came when PI’s Ashlyn Wright’s
delivered a booming spike at the net, driving past the defenders for the point.
Trailing 24-22, the Lady Tarpons fought off one match point to keep their
hopes alive. However, they were unable to return the following serve, dropping
the second set 25-22.
The Lady Tarpons continued to battle in the third set, but the Lady Warriors
proved too much to overcome. Tuloso-Midway took the final set 25-19, ending
the Lady Tarpons’ season.
Volleyball head coach Johvonne Howard couldn’t be prouder of her team,
reflecting on how they fought their way into the playoffs by securing the final
postseason spot before battling until the very last point against Tuloso-Midway in
the Bi-District round.
“The Lady Tarpons had an amazing finish on Thursday against TM. We could not
have been more proud of this group of players. Beating La Feria in 5 at La Feria
was a monumental and their grit was on display. They played together and with
tremendous heart. We played a very strong La Grulla team that would not back
down, but unfortunately for them the Lady Tarpons prevailed and took the fourth
seed.
From one game to the next we were playoff bound and playing at home against a
strong Tuloso Midway. We played extremely well and gave them a run for their
money. We left it all on the court and they were extremely proud of their
performance, competitiveness, heart and grit. The turnaround was fast and we
didn’t have time to fully enjoy the berth, and when it was over, we hugged each
other and reflect on a great moment of truly earning the playoff spot.” Said coach
Howard.
Tuloso-Midway will now advance to the Area round where they are set to
face Navarro. Meanwhile, fellow District 16-4A member Zapata also saw its
season come to an end after suffering a 3-0 loss to Beeville Jones.