The Pahrump Valley High School girls’ varsity volleyball team gave its home crowd a spirited finish Tuesday, Oct. 13, putting together a late six-point run against Moapa Valley in the final set of its last home match of the season. The Lady Trojans fell to the Pirates in three sets, 25-11, 25-14 and 25-15, but continued working for points through the closing rally.
Before the match began, Pahrump celebrated Senior Night by honoring Riley Saldaña, Evalenne Armendariz and Xe’ane Kamanu alongside their families. The recognition marked the three seniors’ final home appearance with the Lady Trojans and celebrated their contributions to the volleyball program.
Riley Saldaña and Xe’ane Kamanu supplied several key attacks, while defensive efforts from Sedona Norton and Mahina Decambra helped extend rallies. Pahrump faced a strong Moapa Valley attack and blocking presence throughout the evening, finding opportunities to respond with well-placed tips, swings and determined saves.
The Pirates established an early advantage in the opening set, using serves to the back corners and blocks at the net to move ahead 7-1. Saldaña provided an answer with a spike, then later placed a tip into the back corner to bring the score to 9-3.
With Decambra serving, Saldaña added another successful attack. A Moapa Valley ball hit out of bounds brought Pahrump within 9-5 as the Lady Trojans worked to build momentum.
Norton helped keep a lengthy exchange alive with a diving save on a Pirates tip. Pahrump stayed in the rally until Moapa Valley hit out, earning a point through its persistence. Another Pirates attack sailed out to make it 12-7.
Moapa Valley pulled away over the next stretch, but Pahrump continued finding openings. Kamanu set up Miani Freitas-Faamai for a spike late in the set, and Saldaña added another kill before the Pirates closed out the opener.
The Lady Trojans opened the second set with a resourceful play from Kamanu, who rolled the ball over the net to keep an exchange going before finishing the rally herself to tie the score at 1-1.
Moapa Valley again built an advantage, moving ahead 8-3, but Pahrump responded. Saldaña drove an attack off a Pirates defender to help trim the deficit to 8-5. She later sent another swing off the block for a point, and a Moapa Valley miscommunication brought the Trojans within 10-7.
Kamanu added a kill, followed by a Pirates ball into the net, as Pahrump narrowed the gap to 11-9. The stretch gave the Lady Trojans several productive offensive possessions against Moapa Valley’s defense.
After the Pirates extended their lead, a Pahrump block cut the margin to 14-11. Kamanu followed with another spike a few points later to keep the Trojans within three at 15-12.
Moapa Valley gained separation down the stretch, combining attacks, tips and an ace. Pahrump continued pursuing difficult balls, including an exchange in which Decambra and her teammates worked together to recover the ball and send it back across the net. The Pirates ultimately took the second set 25-14.
Kaitlyn Brown supplied an early spark in the third set with a successful spike, and Kamanu followed with an ace to even the score at 2-2. Moapa Valley then put together a sustained run, finding points with deep attacks and tips while the Trojans worked to regain their rhythm.
Pahrump continued looking for opportunities at the net. Later in the set, Norton tipped the ball over for a point to make it 21-7. Consecutive Pirates hitting errors helped the Trojans move to nine points.
The strongest closing stretch came with Moapa Valley holding match point at 24-9. Kamanu placed a spike just inside the boundary, starting a run that kept the match going for six more points.
Emily Zaragoza contributed an ace, and the Lady Trojans stayed with a long rally that ended when Moapa Valley hit into the net. Brown then delivered a spike to bring Pahrump to 13 points. A Pirates net violation and another attack into the net extended the run to 24-15.
Moapa Valley ended the match with a spike to the back corner on the next rally, but the Trojans’ late push gave their final home appearance an energetic closing stretch. Facing match point repeatedly, Pahrump continued serving, attacking and extending rallies to make the Pirates work for the finish.
The Lady Trojans will take that effort into their regular season finale Thursday, Oct. 15, when they travel to face The Meadows at 6 p.m.
