A new coach is leading the Brownfield Lady Cubs volleyball program this season, but the challenge awaiting them in District 3-3A remains much the same.
After Coach Mallorie Brantley stepped away from education and coaching, Brownfield turned to Coach Angelica Garibaldi to take over the program. Garibaldi, a Paducah, Texas, native, served as the head volleyball coach at Loop last season. Known for bringing plenty of energy to the gym, “Coach G” is excited about the opportunity to lead the Lady Cubs and help the program take another step forward.
Brownfield reached the postseason last year before falling to Presidio in four sets in the bi-district round. The Lady Cubs have been looking to regain the form they enjoyed in 2021, when Brownfield finished 33-5 and captured a district championship.
Since that standout season, the Lady Cubs have gone 36-90 over the past four years. Despite the struggles, Brownfield still reached the first round of the playoffs in three of those four seasons.
But that is the past, and the focus now turns to what this year’s Lady Cubs can accomplish.
Garibaldi has plenty of work ahead of her, but Brownfield has a solid group of varsity players, including several veterans who would like nothing more than to compete for a district championship and make a deep postseason run.
The Lady Cubs also have a challenging non-district schedule that should help prepare them for district play.
Brownfield opened the season Tuesday, Aug. 11, with an impressive three-set sweep over Olton to give Garibaldi her first victory as head coach of the Lady Cubs.
From there, Brownfield heads to the Shallowater Tournament, where the Lady Cubs will see plenty of tough competition. They will then face a strong Klondike team. While Klondike competes in Class 1A, the Lady Cougars were the Region I runner-up last season and should provide Brownfield with another early-season test.
The Lady Cubs will then return home to face Class 4A Big Spring.
From Aug. 28 through Sept. 8, Brownfield will spend plenty of time on the road, beginning with another tournament in Denver City. The Lady Cubs will also face All Saints in Lubbock, travel to Plains and then make the trip to Abernathy.
Brownfield returns home Sept. 15 for Senior Night against Tahoka before traveling to Idalou for its final non-district contest.
Then comes district play.
District 3-3A proved to be one of the tougher volleyball districts in Class 3A last season, with Odessa Compass Academy, Coahoma and Denver City spending much of the year ranked among the state’s top teams.
The district has a slightly different look this season following the UIL’s February realignment. Crane moves out of the district, while Stanton joins the league as a new volleyball opponent.
Brownfield opens District 3-3A play Sept. 22 on the road against Odessa Compass. The Lady Cubs then return home to face Lamesa in their Teachers Appreciation game.
After that, Brownfield will hit the road for back-to-back matches at Stanton and Denver City before wrapping up the first round of district play at Coahoma. The Lady Cubs begin the second half of district competition Oct. 10.
Garibaldi has been encouraged by what she has seen from her team early in the season, especially when it comes to chemistry.
“The girls are getting along really well and building good chemistry, which I’m really excited about,” Garibaldi said.
Following Brownfield’s season-opening sweep over Olton, Garibaldi was also pleased with how her team responded on the court.
“I thought the girls did a great job! We were able to get our first win under our belts, winning all three sets, and I saw a lot of great things from them,” Garibaldi said. “We’re going to enjoy this one, but we’re ready to keep working, keep improving, and hopefully get a lot more wins this season. I’m really excited about this group and what we can accomplish together!”
Brownfield Lady Cubs Varsity Roster
- #1 Allison Guzman — Junior
- #2 Emersyn Miranda — Sophomore
- #3 Avery Kirkland — Senior
- #4 Payzlea Baumann
- #6 Josslynn Kirkland — Sophomore
- #7 Zaira Gutierrez
- #8 Yesenia Mata — Junior
- #10 Nina Garcia — Senior
- #11 Kenzie Gutierrez — Senior
- #13 Miley Jimenez — Senior
- #14 Mikah Valdonado — Junior
