The Pahrump Valley High School girls’ volleyball team put together a promising second-set lead and several scoring runs Monday, October 26, but could not hold off Boulder City in the regional tournament quarterfinals.
Playing on the road, the Trojans fell in three sets, 25-15, 25-14 and 25-12. Boulder City’s serving and ability to turn short returns into points helped the Eagles take control, while Pahrump found stretches of success at the net and service line.
Boulder City opened the first set with four straight points before Miani Freitas-Faamai placed a tip onto the floor to get the Trojans on the board. An ace from Xe’ane Kamanu followed, and Riley Saldana later added a kill as Pahrump worked to stay close.
Freitas-Faamai and Kamanu continued to find openings, helping the Trojans remain within 12-8. Boulder City then widened the gap, building a 17-8 lead before a Freitas-Faamai kill and another Kamanu ace gave Pahrump consecutive points.
The Eagles eventually reached set point at 24-10, but the Trojans extended the set with five unanswered points. A Boulder City service error sent Olivia Veloz to the line, where her service stretch included an ace, two Eagles attacks that went out and a Saldana kill off a return. Boulder City ended the run with a kill to take the set 25-15.
Pahrump’s strongest stretch came early in the second set. After falling behind 5-3, the Trojans scored seven consecutive points to move ahead 10-5.
Veloz served for six of those points as Pahrump kept the pressure on. Freitas-Faamai put down a tip, Boulder City struggled to keep its attacks in play, and Kamanu finished the run with a kill after an Eagles timeout.
A Boulder City service error and another Eagles attack into the net helped Pahrump extend its lead to 12-6 with Alyvia Morin at the service line.
Boulder City answered with the decisive run of the set, scoring 11 straight points to move ahead 17-12. The Eagles found points through their serving, tips into open space and quick finishes on Trojan returns that crossed back over the net.
Pahrump broke the run on a Boulder City serve that went out. With Evalenne Armendariz serving, Kamanu then sent an attack into the Eagles’ block that fell on Boulder City’s side, bringing the Trojans within 17-14. The Eagles regained control and closed the set with eight consecutive points for a 25-14 win.
In the third set, early kills from Kamanu and Saldana helped Pahrump stay within 6-4 before another long Boulder City service run stretched the margin to 17-4.
The Trojans put together a four-point response that began with an Eagles service error. Mahina Decambra followed with an ace, and a Kamanu attack that deflected off Boulder City helped Pahrump cut the deficit to 17-8.
Boulder City pulled away again, but Pahrump added one more scoring stretch with the Eagles at match point. Sedona Norton scored on an attack, Kamanu delivered an ace, and a Boulder City hit into the net brought the score to 24-12 before the Eagles secured the final point.
The quarterfinal loss ended the Trojans’ season. Their second-set lead and scoring contributions throughout the lineup gave Pahrump positive stretches to take from a difficult postseason matchup.
