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March 29, 2024 1:15 am
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MVHS Volleyball Places 2nd At Yerington Tournament

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

The Pirates volleyball team traveled up to Northern Nevada to take on various teams in the annual Yerington tournament. The Pirates looked to start off the year right after falling in the state championship up North at the end of last season. It ended up being a pretty successful weekend.

Moapa Valley’s first game came against Smith Valley, and the Pirates took control. They dominated their opponent in the first set, 25-12. In this tournament, the sets are best two out of three, so Moapa’s second set win by a score of 25-10 won them their first match.

The second game was played against Portoia. Moapa Valley kept their hot streak up for this one. They won both sets by scores of 25-12 apiece and moved to 2-0 for the weekend.

The next game for the Pirates was against Incline. Yet again, their opponent was simply outmatched. The Pirates won the first set 25-7, perhaps the best they’d seen all weekend. But Incline put up a tough fight in the second round, and kept it close near the end. The Pirates held on for a 25-21 victory to move to 3-0 for the tournament.

The next game came against Lovelock. The Pirates, having not lost a game yet, looked to keep their momentum rolling. That they did. They won both sets, by respective scores of 25-19 and 25-17. This win pushed the Pirates into the semifinals, where they would take on the hometown favorite: Yerington.

In the first set, the Pirates suffered the first loss in a set all week long, and it came in dramatic fashion. The Lions and Pirates went back and forth, but eventually, it would end 27-25.
In the second set, Moapa Valley came out with a vengeance. They shut down Yerington and won the set by an intimidating 25-15 score.

In the decisive third set, the two teams battled back and forth.But it would be the Pirates that would advance to the tournament championship. The game had a thrilling final score of 16-14, and Moapa Valley moved on to play Galena in the championship.
“The girls stepped up and that was one of our pivotal matches,” said Moapa head coach Mandie Matheson. “They have a long standing tradition of being a super successful volleyball powerhouse. They have a really good program. We were fighting tooth and nail with them.”

In the final game, Galena and Moapa Valley fought back and forth, but it would be Galena that came out on top after two tightly matched sets. The final scores would be 25-18, and 25-20.
Overall, out of the 29 teams that attended the tournament, the Pirates finished second. This definitely exciting for everyone involved.
“When they get rolling as a team, they just light up the court,” Matheson said. “They played with a lot of energy.”

Matheson went on to say that in her first time seeing the team play games this season, they had a completely new energy about them. “There’s a different focus this year where it’s kind of a ‘Let’s get down to business,’ focus,” she said. “I don’t even know how to explain it.”

However, Matheson added the Pirates have fun while they play as well. “Business is also fun,” she said. “They have a ton of fun out there, but they also are focused on playing to the best of their abilities.”

Looking forward, the Pirates have another tournament this weekend in Las Vegas. Matheson said she hopes to see the team build on their overall confidence. “They have such strength as a team and sometimes they get down on themselves if they aren’t playing as well as they want to,” Matheson said.

 

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