MVHS Volleyball Looks To Complete Unfinished Business

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

Just nine months ago, the Moapa Valley High School varsity volleyball team found itself competing for a state championship against the Truckee Wolverines. They were as close as they could get, and the trophy was right at their fingertips. But a heartbreaking loss in the fifth set left the Pirates as state runner-ups.
In 2017, thought, the Pirates will bring forth a whole new purpose: to finish the goal they set last year. One thing is certain, they seem poised to do so.

“Taking second place put a real bitter taste in our mouth,” said head coach Mandie Matheson. “The community was awesome and everyone was excited to see us get as far as we did, but we weren’t satisfied with second. The coaches and the players both weren’t and it has really provided a lot of motivation.”
Moapa senior Kessa Evans, who returns after playing on last year’s regional champion team, said, “We were right there, and as a team, we know we never want that feeling again.”

Fellow senior Shelbi Walker added, “We’ve learned a lot from our loss last year. It has motivated us to work harder. We don’t ever want to feel like we did after losing state again. Our goal is reachable and we know what it will take to win.”

This year’s team is filled out by many seniors returning from last season. These include Dannika Gordon, Aria Messer, Eden Whitmore, Rylee May, as well as Evans and Walker.
“I think that their confidence is going to be pivotal,” said Matheson. “They’ve had a lot of talent for a couple of years, but confidence has been an area they’ve lacked. What I love about them is that it isn’t a cockiness. It is a confidence that they’ve worked hard but they know they have lots of work to do to get where they want to be.”

Walker reiterated her coach’s point, “Confidence is super important. It can be the difference between winning and losing a tough game.”
Something coaches in any sport often describe as a crucial factor in performance is a team or player’s “intangibles”. One of those intangibles is undoubtedly team chemistry, which is something the Pirates volleyball program continues to display.

Senior Aria Messer described the importance of a tight team bond, “It’s very important to pick each other up when one of us is not at her best. Through all of our years playing together, we know each other very well.”

After last season’s heartbreak, it didn’t take long for the girls to get back into the gym and start working towards the next season.
“We clearly have some very strong offensive weapons,” Matheson said. “But the biggest improvement in the offseason is their confidence that they can dig every ball. There’s room to go, but they’re getting stronger and stronger.”
“We’ve been working really hard in the offseason,” Evans added. “We’ve been playing together for a long time, so we were able to come and work together as a team.”

As for what the team is still working on, Matheson said, “We have been talking a lot about ball control, getting an out-of-system play back into system, and minimizing how many errors we give to the other team.”
Matheson also said that the Pirates’ passing and defense would be their biggest strengths going into the season.

The Pirates’ journey to not only getting back to the state championship game, but leaving with a different result, officially starts with their first preseason tournament in Yerington this weekend. But it’s clear that Moapa Valley volleyball’s road to redemption began long ago.

MVHS 2017 Varsity Volleyball Season Schedule Varsity Volleyball Roster

Aug. 25-26 TBA Yerington Tourn                                               Alex Peay            1   DS          Jr.
Sep 1-2 TBA LVHS Inv.                                                                 Rylee May                 2 S Sr.
Sep 06 6:00 SECTA                                                               Shyanne Matheson 3 RS          Jr.
Sep 07 6:00 Pahranagat                                                      Kessa Evans              4   L            Sr.
Sep 11 6:00 Chaparral                                                                    Dannika Gordon      5   OH       Sr.
Sep 13 6:00 Virgin Valley                                                              Emilie Barraza         7   DS         Jr.
Sep 15-16 TBA Boulder Cty. Inv.                                                  Shelbi Walker          8   OH,MH Sr.
Sep 18 5:00 Gorman                                                                       Eden Whitmore      9   OH,MH Sr.
Sep 25 6:00 Del Sol                                                                Aria Messer             10 S,RS,MH Sr.
Sep 27 6:00 Boulder City                                                              Abbie Evans             11   OH,MH So.
Oct 03 6:00 Sky Pointe
Oct 05 6:00 SECTA
Oct 09 4:00 Chaparral
Oct 11 6:00 Virgin Valley
Oct 17 6:00 The Meadows
Oct 19 6:00 Del Sol
Oct 23 6:00 Boulder City
Oct 25 6:00 Sky Pointe