SAN ANTONIO – The Harlan Hawks volleyball team is off to a blazing start in the 2025 season, aiming for a third consecutive District 28-6A championship.
Ranked among the top teams in San Antonio and Texas, the Hawks have been a powerhouse since head coach Monica Gonzales started the program nine years ago upon the school’s inception.
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“Coach always says that pressure is a privilege,” said Harlan senior libero Cheyenne Canche. “We try to keep that in mind going into season and hold each other accountable while we move forward so that we can work harder and harder each day to maintain that status of being the top program in the city.”
The team’s success starts in practice, where the Hawks play with a competitive edge.
“We make it competitive with funny trash talk across the net, but it’s still competitive and we’re having fun at the same time,” said Hawks junior outside hitter Nailah Randle.
“We’re a team that plays good when we’re very serious, but we’re a team that plays better when we’re having fun and being competitive and teasing each other a little bit,” added Canche.
This edge has helped Harlan produce Division I talent, including Randle, an LSU commit, and Oklahoma signee Da’Mya Mann, who will soon face off in the SEC.
Before that, the Hawks are on a mission to reach the state tournament after falling one win shy of that feat last year.
“I don’t need them to peak in August, I need them to peak in October,” Gonzales said. “Understanding there’s going to be a couple speed bumps and we’re going to have to make adjustments.”
Harlan doesn’t struggle to get motivated when they remember how much community support the program receives.
“We’re playing for the rest of our school, for little girls in middle school who see us and want to be us,” Canche said. “We’re not just playing for ourselves; we’re playing for our community.”
“I feel a lot of pride,” Mann said, pointing to the Hawks’ banner hanging in their gym. “Especially getting the opportunity to get posted up on that banner over there, yeah I feel a lot of pride.”
The Hawks have begun the district portion of their schedule and are off to an undefeated start.
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