By Edmond Ortiz
The gymnasium at Harlandale High School is now formally named after a popular alumna and longtime coach.
What happened
Loved ones, friends and colleagues of the late Sylvia Cardenas were joined at the campus gym on Sept. 25 by community supporters and others to officially dedicate the facility in her memory.
A 1979 Harlandale graduate, Cardenas worked with the Harlandale Independent School District for 34 years, 28 of which were spent coaching volleyball.
The celebration and pep rally at the now-monikered Sylvia Cardenas Gymnasium took place two weeks after the Harlandale ISD school board voted to rename the facility.
During her head coaching tenure, Cardenas recorded 608 wins and led the volleyball program to 25 playoff appearances. Citing issues with an autoimmune disease, Cardenas retired in 2016.
Cardenas was an active member of the Harlandale community for much of her life. In 1992, she founded Can You Dig It, a summer and fall volleyball league that offers developmental instruction at an affordable price, and makes it accessible for a range of local athletes.
Cardenas died on June 4, 2025 shortly after being diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. She was 64.
What they’re saying
It was not long after Cardenas’ death when community members, including family, friends, alumni and colleagues, petitioned Harlandale ISD officials to formally honor the influential coach by naming the high school gym after her.
Several residents speaking at a series of school board meetings in August and early September said naming the campus gym after Cardenas was a proper way to honor her memory. Some residents said Cardenas left a lasting impact at Harlandale, including having been followed by numerous former players into the coaching profession.
Five of Cardenas’ former players currently are head coaches of local varsity volleyball programs: Amanda Esparza at Southwest Legacy High School, Stacey Faz at Harlandale, Katie Neira at Poteet High School, Lilly Rost at MacArthur High School, and Justine Sandoval at Southside High School.
Lesley Cardenas addressed school board members on Aug. 18, talking about how her late mother-in-law had a profound effect on her and the lives of many others.
“If you knew her at all, you knew she didn’t ever truly retire from her love of the game nor her service to her community here at Harlandale,” Cardenas said.
Cardenas added: “I admired Sylvia for the many hats that she wore: a coach, a leader, a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt and a mother. She gave her allies a role and did it so gracefully. In fact, she even inspired me to become an educator that I am today. It is because of her that I found my heart in the classroom, and I know she would be so proud of me today.”
Sylvia Cardenas’ sister Yolanda Alonso fought back tears as she spoke of how her sibling often went above and beyond the call of duty, even driving student-athletes home when they had no post-match transportation, or feeding players who could not afford to buy food before a match.
“She was humble to the core,” Alonso said.
Robert Villafranca, a Harlandale Class of 1977 member, also addressed the board on Aug. 18. He listed Cardenas’ many academic and professional achievements.
“Sylvia gave so much of herself to this community,” he added.
