Moapa Falls To B.C. In State Final

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

For the 2017 Moapa Valley High School Pirates Volleyball team, the journey did not begin or end at last week’s state championship game. It didn’t start at the beginning of this season, nor did it finish at its conclusion. Rather, this journey began long ago, before many of the girls had even reached junior high. And their legacy has left a lasting impression on the MVHS volleyball program.

As the second seed, the team headed to the state tournament on Friday night, where they began by taking on the top seed from the north, the Lowry Buckaroos. The first set started off neck and neck. The score was tied at 11-11, when Moapa senior Eden Whitmore stepped up to serve for the Pirates. She wouldn’t stop her run of serving until thirteen points later. Four Whitmore aces and a Dannika Gordon kill later, the Pirates would win the set 25-15.

In the second set, the score was never really close. Three kills in the first seven points for Whitmore, and then an Abbie Evans block, boosted the Pirates to a 10-1 lead. That early momentum, boosted them to another 25-15 victory.

In the third set, the Pirates found themselves tied at 17, following an ace by Shyanne Matheson. Lowry would show resilience, fighting to win 25-22, and forcing a fourth set.

With the score 14-12 in the fourth, back to back kills from the corner by Whitmore put the Pirates back in control of momentum. But the Buckaroos wouldn’t go home easily. They rallied to tie the score at 24-24.
A few minutes later, the Pirates led 25-24 when Dannika Gordon served an ace and sent Moapa to the state championship to face their rival Boulder City.

On Saturday evening, both sides filled the bleachers to capacity at Faith Lutheran High School as the Pirates took on the Eagles in a thrilling match.

In the first set, the Pirates sent their fans into a frenzy. Early kills by Gordon gave the Pirates a 13-9 lead. That would be added onto by Aria Messer, who got an ace to keep the momentum rolling. Kessa Evans would finish off the set with an ace of her own, as the Pirates would win it 25-17.
In the second, Boulder City responded, hyping up their own crowd. The Eagles jumped out to a 19-12 lead in the blink of an eye.

The Pirates showed they wouldn’t be shut down without a fight. They scored six unanswered points, thanks to highlight plays from Abbie Evans to cut the spread to 19-18.
Hustling on defense would be Moapa libero Kessa Evans, to tie things up at 21. An Eden Whitmore block and kill kept things tied at 25. A few favorable bounces later, and the Eagles would claim that set, 27-25.

In the third set, the Pirates continued the teeter totter affair. Talented hitting from Shelbi Walker vaulted Moapa Valley to a 17-10 lead. Impressive hitting in the middle from Abbie Evans down the stretch would drown out the Eagles’ comeback attempts. The Pirates would claim the third set 25-14.

Boulder City came into the fourth set with new drive. All of a sudden the Eagles were leading 10-4. They would stave off rallies by the Pirates, and hold onto their lead, turning it into a 25-16 win which set up a decisive fifth set.

Early in the final set, an Eden Whitmore kill put the Pirates on the board. But it was the hitting by the Eagles that was taking control. They would lead 5-1. Another kill by Whitmore, and one for Walker kept the Pirates hanging around, but a 12-7 deficit loomed over their heads. Walker stepped up with consecutive kills to cut the lead to three points at 13-10. Momentum seemed to be in the Pirates’ hands when a controversial call at the net went the Eagles’ way and put them a point away from a victory.

Two scores by the Pirates kept them in it. But at 14-12, a Maggie Roe kill for the Eagles sealed the deal and Boulder City won the State Championship match.
“You can always look back and wonder if we should’ve tried this or that,” said MVHS head coach Mandie Matheson. “But at the end of the day everybody did the best they could under the circumstances. You’ve got two teams fighting with a lot of heart, and somebody had to walk away with a second place trophy.”

Matheson expressed gratitude for supportive MVHS fans who stood in unison for a ceremonial chant initiated by senior Kessa Evans before each set. “You can see a difference in the girls play when they have that huge fan base,” she said. “I think that when you look up there and see everyone in the stands rooting for you, it’s hard to give up.”

At the conclusion of this season, the Pirates will graduate six seniors. On that list is Rylee May, Eden Whitmore, Aria Messer, Dannika Gordon, Kessa Evans, and Shelbi Walker.
Kessa Evans talked about the bond that exists between that group. “All of the girls on the team, especially the seniors, are so close,” she said. “We grew up together, we’ve been hanging out and playing volleyball with each other for as long as I can remember.”

Evans’ teammate Dannika Gordon elaborated. “It has just been so great to get to know these girls so well and to travel, work, win, and lose with them,” she said. “Each girl has put in so much hard work to get where we are. We’ve fought through thick and thin together year after year.”

Aria Messer and Rylee May reminisced on what they’ll be leaving behind now that the season has reached an end.
“My greatest memory is our pregame routine and pep talks to each other,” Messer said. “We would give each other confidence and let each other know we were there for them.”
“It’s going to be weird not showing up and practicing with them come next fall,” May added. “I’m going to miss stepping onto the court and competing as a Pirate.”

Outside hitter Eden Whitmore led the team in kills the season. But her skill hitting the ball wasn’t the number one thing she learned in playing on this team. “I have learned that no matter the game you play in, either a state game or a tournament game, you give it your all,” she said. “You leave everything on the court.”

Shelbi Walker summarized her team, saying, “As teammates, we win together and lose together because we love each other and we don’t give up on each other no matter what.”

Matheson praised the team for the effort put forth. “We were looking for girls that had the old school Moapa Valley mentality to work hard and do anything they could for the team and that’s what they are,” she said. “These girls gave everything they had, and I’m so proud of being able to coach such well-rounded kids.”